Rewrite
by Murasaki B
Summary: Naruto returns to his personal hell day for day until a bastard of a new student acts as if they are close friends, even though he doesn't know him. The eyes he constantly feels on him don't make his situation any better either. Things only seem to go downhill with time passing, so much that he begins to question his own sanity. SasuNaru; slight KibaNaru and others
1. Day and Night

Hi there! The beginning of this story originally consisted of the three chapters of another author's story that was discontinued and that I decided to continue. At some point though, even after doing some alterations, I decided to delete those three chapters and write a brand new first chapter of my own. After all, the first chapter of a story is the selling point! And this is it. Hope you like it.

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><p><strong>– Rewrite –<strong>

Chapter I  
><span>– Day and Night –<span>

Another day, another start.

The sun rose every day, woke Naruto up every day. Rung in another day of torture each day.

He would roll around in his thin sheets for a while, trying to push what was ahead to the back of his mind. Getting up, he would always feel dead-tired and not because of a lack of sleep. Whenever he looked into mirrors, all he would see were empty eyes staring back at him, his skin pasty and unhealthy looking. The rest of his early morning would pass by in a blur, the teen waiting for what was to come. If it was coming at all.

Once he was done putting on clothes, he would peek out of his own door onto the hallway. If he didn't see or hear anyone, he would quietly sneak down the stairs into the kitchen. Hastily gathering his things and grabbing something quick to eat, he would try to get out before _he _would wake up. Sometimes he got out in time.

Sometimes he didn't.

This was such a day.

Just as he was about to take a bite of his poisonous green apple, a hand brushed over his tailbone and up his back. A jolt so powerful it knocked the apple out of his hand ran through his body, the teen standing as still as a statue now.

"Good morning," a deep sultry voice hushed into his ear.

Clenching his fists, Naruto tried not to shiver in the man's hold. Two hands now wrapped around his arms and turned him around, forcing him to look into those green eyes giving him a look no father should give his son. "M-Morning, dad," he forced out before receiving a peck on the lips. He tried to look anywhere but those eyes staring him down. The fingers now running over his face with a feather-like touch didn't make it any easier.

"Those bruises on your jaw look horrible," the man uttered in a _worried_ tone. "I guess you can't go to school like that, huh?"

The chuckles his father released then drilled into Naruto's ears like spears. "I guess not," he choked out, lowering his head knowing what was to come.

"Why don't you go back to your room? I'll come after I finish up some things, okay?"

Nodding silently, Naruto gladly left the kitchen and rushed into his room. He knew that this sense of safety he gained now would only be short-lived, but deep down he still hoped that today he wouldn't be torn apart.

Hearing the heavy steps coming up the stairs though, he knew there was no use to his wishful thinking.

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><p>Naruto tried not to whimper too much with the heavy body on top of him. He tensed up once again when wet hot breath fanned over his neck. The tiniest movement of the man still inside him caused a sting of pain and all the blond could do was press his lips together and tug at the sheets beneath his fingers, waiting until his father finally left.<p>

Grunting one last time, the man finally got up. His departure was accompanied by a slurping noise as he separated from the teen. Once he had pulled his pants back up, he scratched the back of his neck as he yawned, then left.

Sighing in relief, Naruto carefully pulled his legs together and just stayed still for a while, waiting for the pain to subside. Reaching towards the little cupboard to his right, he pulled open a drawer and barely got the bottle of pills out without moving the rest of his body. He popped in two of the white pills dry, then just let the bottle drop to the floor. Gladly, his father was usually too out of it to even notice when an entire bottle of his pills were missing.

Many times before, whenever he snuck into his father's room to steal pills, he had contemplated just taking the sleeping pills and downing the entire bottle. Just end it all. Each time though, he was too scared. Even after everything that his father did, even after treating him like his personal whore, Naruto still feared death more. Just thinking about it inflicted a deep-rooted anxiety in him that he couldn't handle. He didn't believe in any god, nor did he believe that he would go anywhere once he died, meaning according to him he would just disappear completely. His mind would just be whisked away like a blown out candle, just like that. He would be completely gone. And that terrified him.

Once enough time had passed for the painkillers to kick in, Naruto slowly sat up and began to massage the insides of his thighs. The worst thing wasn't even any back pain. He had gotten accustomed to that long ago. The worst was when his father, on a sudden whim, wanted to see his face while doing him. In times like that he would force him to bend his legs in a way he wasn't accustomed to and for such a long time that they were numb by the time he was done. Naruto would have to do the crab walk again for the next few days.

He picked up his scattered pieces of clothing from the floor and dressed, staring out of the window all the while. There was a crack in the glass, running over the surface like a lightning bolt. As far as he remembered, it had been there since the day he had been fucked against it.

As soon as the painkillers had taken their full effect, he decided to take a walk. His father would be too tired to even notice him leave for a while. He quietly pushed his window open and swiftly climbed out, although he grimaced in pain when he jumped out and a jolt ran through his body. Looking out for people passing by, he sneaked towards the street and only slowed down when he was a safe distance away from his house.

Now what?

After some aimless walking around and ending up close to the graveyard, Naruto decided to visit his mother. The tall metal gate was as noisy as ever as it swung open and just like in any horror movie, there was a sheen of mist above the ground. The sky was one shade of gray, making this visit even more depressing than it actually was. Naruto had never actually met his mother after all. He mainly visited her out of a sense of duty, since she was the woman who had given birth to him. And whenever he felt down, he would come and confide in her, even if she couldn't quite help him. Just talking to her gave Naruto a bit relief.

It didn't take long for the blond to arrive at his mother's grave. And like each time, he felt his chest tighten seeing the state it was in. There were no flowers and instead, the ground above her remains was covered in weeds. Moss and decay gnawing at her gravestone. No one beside Naruto seemed to care about her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring you any flowers again," Naruto mumbled with a sad smile, sitting down in front of the grave. "I'll try to bring you some next time." He always said that, but never actually had the money to buy even a single flower. Finding any nice flowers anywhere in a city besides the flower shop was an impossible thing and it wasn't like he could just go into people's gardens and take any. "I feel bad for not being able to repay you for… you know…" Frustrated with himself and the way he couldn't even talk openly to a grave, the blond began to rip out small pieces of grass from the ground. Immersed in destroying the bit of green that adorned the area around his mother's grave, Naruto blankly stared at the ground. "I still don't get how you could have been with a guy like dad. I think you're so much better, mom." Of course Naruto didn't know for sure if his mother had been a good person, but his gut feeling told him so and he always trusted his gut feeling. "I should just tell someone, shouldn't I? Just call the police and sick them on him. But I'm scared, mom. What will others think of me? What if no one believes me? I mean, it's my fault too that all this happened! I should've done something the first time it happened, but… I… allowed it. I should've stopped it. It's my fault for letting this happen. I can't ever tell someone."

Just when he noticed that he was about to cry again, Naruto suddenly shot up and left, mumbling a small _Goodbye_ as he rushed away_. _He didn't want to cry in front of _anyone_.

His aching heart was only just calming down as Naruto left the graveyard, hands in his pockets, when a familiar voice suddenly startled him.

"Naruto?"

Spinning around, the blond found his best friend of many years just a few steps away from him. "Sakura-chan," he mumbled unenthusiastically, calming down quickly. He didn't even acknowledge the worried edge to her voice. "Did I miss anything at school?" The blond tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but knew that Sakura wouldn't have any of it.

And have it she didn't after all. "Are you ill? How are you?"

Naruto just so suppressed a sigh, somewhat annoyed by Sakura's doting. "I felt sick this morning. But I'm better now."

"So tomorrow you'll come again?"

That depended on what his father would be like tomorrow. Naruto merely shrugged, not even locking eyes with the girl. "Not sure." He could hear the girl sigh and knew she was staring at him with those mint green eyes of hers.

"What is going on with you?" she murmured quietly, but the other still heard.

"It's none of your business," Naruto barked in response, glaring at the girl with narrowed eyes.

Sakura startled, looking as if he had just slapped her across the face. "I'm worried about you!"

"Well, there's no reason to be, so just leave me alone!"

Pain and anger flashed across the girl's face, her trembling bottom lip betraying the enraged look in her eyes. "You've changed." Her head dropped, her eyes glancing at the ground.

"People change, Sakura-chan," Naruto dead-panned as he turned to leave. "It's part of life." He quickly left her standing there, not even looking her in the face once. Without seeing her face, he knew that she would be going home crying again because of him.

_I'm such an asshole._

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><p>Another day, another start.<p>

Again, Naruto woke up to bright light stabbing his eyes and forcing him to get out of bed. Again, he rushed to put on his clothes and get ready to leave. Even though his legs were killing him and felt like they would dissolve any moment, the blond shoved a piece of toast into his mouth and left in a rush. He heard steps on the floor above him, which sent his heart racing. Only when he was out the door and actually walking along the street he finally heaved a sigh of relief.

It was the first time this week that he had actually gotten out unscathed and it was Thursday already. By now, his teachers didn't even ask what was going on anymore. They simply assumed he was sick often.

Konoha High School was quite a walk away and it took him at least twenty minutes to get there, even when he was walking quickly. But since he left his house as early as possible, he usually arrived way too soon. Today was the same.

As always, Rock Lee, his senior by one year, was waiting at the gate and doing his self-appointed duty: guarding the gate. Even though he usually was a nice fella, when it came to rules, he was as strict as can be. If anyone arrived even a second too late, he would close the gate on them and they had to wait until the next period.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun!" the bowl-haired teen greeted the blond enthusiastically.

Before the other could go on about Naruto joining him in some crazy exercise again, the blond cut him off. "Fuck off, Lee," he grumbled and immediately regretted it seeing the older teen's smile turn a little sour. It took a lot to upset Rock Lee, but Naruto managed to do so every single day.

Naruto quickly forgot about Lee though when he entered the school building and on the corridors ahead spotted a familiar pink shock of hair.

As if sensing his eyes on her, Sakura turned and locked eyes with the blond, pressing her lips together as she found the usual hostile look in his face. Eyes downcast, she turned back around to her locker, took out what she needed and left.

_She'll calm down._

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><p>School was a drag, but it distracted Naruto for a while. He rather stayed six hours in schools and listened to adults going on and on about history, biology and math than stay at home and just wait until he would be completely broken.<p>

When his last period ended, Naruto remembered that his father would be staying at work longer than usual, meaning he had some free time to spare. It both delighted and depressed him. On one hand, he had some more time until he had to go home, but he also didn't know what exactly to do. Whenever he had time, he simply went to the same place, which he also did now.

Ayame's Café had been his favorite place to retreat to for as long as he could remember. Only regulars ever came and barely any teens showed up, which made it a nice place to relax. He never had the money to buy himself a proper meal, but it was still nice to just sit and take a break.

"Oh, Naruto! Hi!" A brunette with warm eyes and a just as warm smile approached the teen with a notepad in her hand. "What do you want?"

"Um…" Naruto awkwardly glanced down at his table. "I don't think I'll get anything today, Ayame-chan."

The girl, although being slightly older, pouted in an upset way and crossed her arms. "Naruto-kun! This is the third time already! You know you can't stay here unless you buy anything."

"I'm sorry, Ayame-chan." The blond smiled apologetically, hunching his shoulders. "I'm kind of broke right now. I promise I'll buy something next time." He knew giving the girl his puppy eyes would easily soothe her.

Ayame's features immediately softened, her protective instinct kicking in. "It's fine," she sighed, only to quickly break out into another bright smile. "Just don't loiter around for too long. People will get mad at me for treating you differently. You know _exactly_ that I can't resist that face of yours." She left to the next table still smiling, which somewhat lifted Naruto's mood. Her smiling face, the warm atmosphere of the café, no one harassing him just for the hell of it. It all served to brighten his mood.

It was nice just being able to sit without people walking up to him and insulting him or yelling curses after him when he walked down the street. Why people did this he didn't know. He had never understood people just beating him for no reason either. Ever since he had been little, people seemed to just hate him for no reason. Neighbors would glare at him, whisper about him behind his back thinking he didn't notice. Shopkeepers would give him that disgusted look, but he never understood. In school people always picked him as their punching bag, even some teachers picked on him especially.

Everyone just loved to hate him.

A sudden clanking sound on his table interrupted his thoughts, Ayame's smiling face looking at him once again. In front of him, a steaming hot cup of coffee was standing looking delectable as hell. "I-I didn't order anything though," he stammered out nervously.

"It's from that good-looking guy back there," the girl hushed excitedly, pointing to somewhere behind the blond.

Frowning confusedly, Naruto turned around to spot a raven-haired teen staring at him with steely black eyes. His pale skin glowed even in the semi-darkness of the corner he was sitting in, his shiny hair framing his sharp jawline. Naruto stopped breathing for a second, not used to someone staring at him in that way. He couldn't quite classify this person's intent.

"He came in, sat down and just started staring at you from the back." Ayame seemed delighted. She was way too happy about this creepy guy coming in and staring at one of her guests.

"O-Okay," Naruto mumbled quietly, mustering up a little smile so that Ayame didn't notice his discomfort. Frankly, this guy both fascinated and intimidated him. He gave him a strange feeling, as if their eyes hadn't met for the first time. Noticing that he was staring as well, Naruto quickly turned back around, frantically thinking about what to do with this cup of coffee in front of him. He honestly just wanted it to be gone, but it seemed to call to him with its heavenly caramel scent and absolutely gorgeous fluffy foam. He couldn't resist and before he knew it, he was sipping at it, moaning when the hot liquid flowed over his tongue and spread its delicious aroma all over his mouth. When he put the cup back down it was already half empty.

"Looks like you're enjoying the coffee I picked."

The deep velvety voice that suddenly sounded next to him caused Naruto to tense up just when he was about to take another sip. His eyes remained downcast as he listened to the noise of the chair in front of him being pulled back and someone sitting down. When he put the cup back down, he saw pale arms moving onto the tabletop. As his eyes wandered up, he could see that indifferent face propped up on one hand staring at him, a tiny hint of a smirk playing along the other's lips.

"You seem less overzealous these days."

What did this guy want from him? He sounded… rude. _What a bastard_. Naruto simply remained silent, glaring at the other suspiciously.

"I would have expected you of all people to immediately jump me."

_The fuck? Does he think he's _so_ fucking attractive that everyone wants to jump his bones? What an asshole!_

Confusion mingled into that slight smirk on the other's face. He tilted his head as he very closely eyed the blond's face. His lips parted, the teen seeming to want to say something, but he suddenly stopped and pulled back a little. The grim expression lining his features intensifying, he pulled a phone from his pocket. "Hn." Was that the way he usually greeted people? "Why?"

Naruto, while the other was occupied, drank the rest of his coffee and simply watched the other. Usually, he would have just gotten up and left, but that was way too rude to someone who had just provided him with such a heavenly beverage.

"I understand," the raven-haired teen murmured. "I'll be there." When the teen ended the call, even the way his slender fingers brushed over the phone looked elegant. The legs of his chair quietly scraped against the floor as he got up to leave. Walking away, he simply nodded at the blond with his hands in his pockets, Naruto following him with his eyes.

_The hell was that about?_ Naruto shrugged, downing the leftover foam in his cup and sighing in content as he put it down. He had never before seen such an intriguing yet annoying person. He was rude, arrogant and inconsiderate. Well, not inconsiderate. He had given Naruto a coffee and that was a plus in the blond's book. On the other hand, he was so mysterious and casual at the same time, it irked Naruto how such a person could exist.

Shaking his head, Naruto willed himself to stop thinking about the teen and got up to leave as well. After briefly waving Ayame goodbye, he headed towards the door. He was about to grab the door handle, but stopped short when he stepped onto something hard and thin. Stepping back, he found a rectangular piece of plastic on the ground. When he picked it up, he noticed his school's name on the back and, flipping it over, found the picture of someone quite familiar on the right.

"Uchiha Sasuke, huh?" Looked like he went to Konoha High. Must have been a new student. Naruto would have noticed a bastard like him before. Contemplating just giving it Ayame for that asshole to get himself, Naruto sighed and in the end put it into his own pocket.

The blond glanced at his watch and noticed that he had half an hour left to get back home in time. Looking up at the sky, Naruto sighed again seeing the gray clouds getting darker. It would be raining soon.

And so, his day ended. Night would soon shroud the city in darkness.

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><p>I'm so so happy that I took out the older chapters. They just really didn't fit my later chapters and definitely turned some people off. Should have done this a lot sooner.<p>

– Murasaki B


	2. One's Home

Looks like you find my story intriguing *cackles*.

Thanks to the following lemons for reviewing: **aj527**, **BeautifullySleepDeprived**, **Stalker-san**, **english-house**, **March Rosenqueen**, **Itooshii Koneko**, **Azkateelia**, **Adevlo. D**, **anapana83**, **keiiah**, **uzumakifangirl13**.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

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><p><span>Chapter II<span>  
><span>– One's Home –<span>

On his way back home, Naruto couldn't shake off the growing feeling of knowing that dark-haired teen. He had long forgotten his name, but didn't care since he knew he had the other's student ID card in case he had to remember his name again.

Lost in his thoughts about the onyx-eyed stranger, the usual anxiety Naruto would have felt on his way back was pushed back into a dark corner of his mind, resurfacing only when it was too late. A familiar black Chevy stood in the drive-way and he was already too close to go somewhere else, to flee. It was about time anyway. If he came back even later now, his dad would only ask questions, ending in some kind of punishment no matter what Naruto said.

Releasing a sigh, shoulders slumping, the blond approached his front door and leaned down to get the key from under the mat. He clenched his teeth in slight annoyance when the key wasn't there. Sometimes his dad just took the key so that Naruto would have to resort to knocking and depending on his dad to open for him. Reluctantly the teen lifted his balled fist to lightly rap on the door, feeling dread clawing at his guts. He could already imagine the mock kindness his dad would show, before crushing him the way he always did.

The door swung open and revealed the form of a thirty-year-old man holding on to the door frame as if he would fall if he didn't.

"Heya, my son!" he drawled, a wave of his alcohol-soaked breath hitting Naruto's face.

_Shit, he's totally wasted_.

There were only two possible outcomes in the case his dad would get drunk. He'd either give Naruto one of the worst beatings known to man, or what Naruto was hoping for: He would pass out in some corner until the next morning, waking up with a huge hangover the next day, which would make him unable to do anything to Naruto for a whole day. The latter only happened two out of ten times, but each time Naruto hoped for at least one and a half days of peace.

The blond hesitatingly greeted the man back, pushing himself past the taller body to get inside. The stench of alcohol surrounding the man was so heavy, Naruto already felt dizzy from only breathing in a little. He didn't even turn around when his dad grunted behind him, the sound of his shuffling feet indicating that he was turning around.

"That all ye got as 'n greetin'?" he slurred, stumbling closer to the teen. He firmly placed one hand on the blond's shoulder, turning the boy around with enough force to almost shove him to the floor. "Shoudn't ye be more nice?" A hiccup passed his lips, before the man tightened his grip on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto visibly tensed up, hoping the following beating wouldn't leave him with having to patch up half his face and telling anyone that asked that he had fallen down the stairs again. Yeah… Lamest excuse ever. And yet people seemed satisfied and didn't keep asking, not even doubting any of the lies that constantly poured from Naruto's mouth.

The drunken man suddenly grabbed the blond's other shoulder, only to pull him close enough to force his lips onto Naruto's. As soon as his tongue made its way into the teen's mouth, the blond could even taste the sickening stench of alcohol on his own tongue. It was disgusting. Disgusting to the point that he wanted to bend over and wretch his guts out. But as quickly as the lips came, they left, leaving Naruto to blink in wonder as the grip on his shoulder also suddenly disappeared. A thump echoed throughout the otherwise silent room and the blond found himself looking down at the unconscious form of the snoring man that only seconds earlier had been molesting him.

A sigh of relief could be heard coming from Naruto and he quickly moved on to pulling his dad onto the nearby couch, knowing full well that he would get an earful later on if he didn't. It was when his unconscious bum of a father lay on the couch that Naruto allowed himself a much longed for moment of peace and relaxation. He trudged toward his room after putting away his bag that he had carelessly dumped in some corner earlier. Once there he collapsed onto his bed, ruffling up the already disheveled bed sheets. He buried his face into his pillow, glad that for the rest of the day he was saved from the fear of being molested. The fear that constantly accompanied him whenever he was home.

_But shouldn't _home_ be the place where you feel safest? Why is _home_ something that I connect with fear and pain for me? Others get home and feel content. Others come home and are happy to see their family after a long day of school or work. The moment I step over my threshold, it's like entering hell._

Naruto tried to push away those thoughts. For the rest of the day, there would be no depressing thoughts, no fear, no pain – besides what was still there from earlier. Or so he hoped. Remembering just that exact pain, the blond sat up and lifted his shirt to scrutinize the cuts on his stomach. They were still aching, burning only lightly now though. Yet they were still of an angry red, showing just how easily his father oppressed him. How much _power_ the man held over him.

_Why do I let him do this to me?_

A question Naruto asked himself almost everyday.

_Oh, right. It's because I'm a worthless piece of trash. He's the only one willing to give me at least food and water. A place to sleep. That's all I can ask for._ _And in exchange for that…_

At least that was what the teen was trying to convince himself of. That his pain was merely a repayment for being allowed to live. May his life be happy or not.

Sure, others in his situation could have called a social worker, but what social worker in Konoha would willingly help him, Uzumaki Naruto? He was allowed to live in Konoha, but not many actually gave a damn about what was up with him and his screwed up father. To them he was just a nuisance, a reminder of grief. A grief that had been deeply imprinted into Konoha's history. At least that's what had been told to him. Not many would even have bothered to try and hurt him. Maybe they were scared. They either hated him and chose to glare at him whenever he went by, or just ignored him and acted as if his being was non-existent. Gladly, those times of other people other than his father beating him were rare now. Only a handful of people talked to him casually and without glaring or backing away in fear, but those were usually people that didn't know who exactly he was.

Cerulean eyes narrowed, holding a seldom look of somberness.

_Kyuubi… I wonder what you're doing right now._

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><p>The next morning, Naruto woke up to growing rays of the sun peeking through his curtains and stabbing his poor closed eyes.<p>

_Guess I fell asleep._

Glancing at a nearby clock, he realized that it was only five in the morning, so he lay back down again. The blinding sun light though wouldn't let him, stinging his eyes and forcing them open. With a groan, Naruto heaved himself up from the bed and walked over to the window. He only spared the peaceful morning scenery outside a tiny glance, then pulled his curtains closed.

_Wait… what?_

Harshly pulling the curtains open again, Naruto frantically searched the area. Maybe it had been his imagination, but he swore someone had been glaring into his room from the other side of the street. Muttering curses under his breath, the blond pulled the curtains closed again, all the while cursing his own imagination.

For a while, he just stood there with the curtains in his hands, feeling… void. As if he was missing something. Something important.

Shaking his head, Naruto quickly dismissed that thought and shambled back to his bed, collapsing face-first into his pillow. Only seconds later, he was snoring off into a rare peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p>Naruto was about to leave through the front door, when he remembered something. After quickly walking back up to his room, he picked up the pants he had worn the day before. He rummaged through the back pockets until his fingers closed around a rectangular piece of plastic. Hastily shoving it into his pant's pocket, he ran back down, hoping the commotion hadn't woken his dad up yet. Hung-over or not, that guy was a terrible morning grouch. No one would want to be caught up in his early morning fury.<p>

The blond spent his way to school in his usual monotonous daze. He didn't perceive the hate-filled glares he received and never heard the people whispering behind his back. After years of having to deal with this, he had just gotten used to it, not even taking any of it in. Same went for the pain. Physical and mental. He was used to dealing with it by now.

He soon found himself in front of the school gates. It was still pretty early, so the gate had only been open for barely ten minutes. Naruto just couldn't stay in bed for long. Always fearing his dad could burst through his door, pin him against his bed and pound into him until he _had_ to leave for school. Limping, of course. This constant fear and anxiety never allowed Naruto to just lay around in bed.

Lee was standing at his usual post behind the gate, following Naruto with his weirdo-gaze. Freaky eyelashes and brows just give you that kind of gaze, no matter _how_ you look.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," the older teen greeted the blond in his usual fired up manner.

Naruto didn't even spare one glance at the bowl-haired student. For his taste the guy was just way too eager to do something for school security. Not only a hall monitor, but also gate guard before and after school. Sickening.

Rushing past Lee, the blond headed straight for his usual spot: the roof. It was the only place where he could enjoy moments of true peace. Every morning, after escaping from the prison called his home, he would go there and wait until school started. Hanging around at home longer than necessary wasn't an option. At all. The doors of the staircases and the one leading to the roof were always open. The janitor was way too lazy to lock them after school and unlock them in the morning everyday. Good for Naruto.

And burglars.

Once having reached the very top of the school, Naruto took in a deep breath, letting the crisp morning air fill up his lungs. Head falling back and releasing that breath, Naruto gazed into the vast sky dyed in a morning crimson. A feeling of content spread throughout his mind and body, relaxing his tensed muscles. All because of light and air.

_I'm a freaking flower!_

Naruto chuckled darkly at this. After all, there were more things he had in common with flowers. Easily crushed, like the blond by his dad. Having to depend on the sun and the ground for energy, just like Naruto had to depend on his father for food and a home. The only difference was that flowers gave life to other beings, like bees. Flowers depended on the earth and the sky. Bees depended on flowers. The cycle went past that, going on and on. But who depended on Naruto? No one. The cycle started with Naruto and ended with Naruto. Maybe that was even worse than the treatment he received. Needed by no one, living an existence as someone barely accepted in society. If at least one person truly needed him, it would make life worth living again. That would never happen though.

By now Naruto was leaning against the tall fence surrounding the roof. He had often thought about just ending it all and jumping. It often seemed as if the wind was beckoning him, calling him.

_"Come, Naruto. Come. Jump and it will all be over."_

The blond was standing so that he could look down at the school's gate, now watching students rushing in. Lee was ruthless. He always closed the gate the moment the bell rang, not wasting even one second. Anyone coming too late would have to wait the entire first period to pass before being let in. Lee was doing just that right now, closing the gate with frantic students dashing to slip through the narrowing gap. Among the students that loitered around on the school grounds, Naruto suddenly spotted a familiar shock of raven hair.

_Right, I should give him back his card before the second bell rings._

Reluctantly Naruto rose from his sitting position and briefly dusted off his pants. A sigh left him as he walked towards the roof's door and past the quietly buzzing generators that provided most of the school's electricity. After pushing open the door, he rushed down the staircases until he reached the corridors packed with students. He tried to again spot the brunet, but couldn't find him among the students. Groaning, he weaseled his way through the crowd, looking around. After a while of still not finding the other teen, Naruto began to ponder wether he should just drop the damn card off somewhere. He didn't have any obligation to give it to that Uchiha-guy personally. About to turn and head for his next class, he finally caught a glimpse of familiar pale skin and black hair.

_Finally!_

Naruto walked up to the other with a small huff. The other teen was doing something at his locker, his face unchanging and wearing no emotions whatsoever.

"Oi!" Naruto greeted the other harshly, catching the brunet's attention who turned his head towards the voice. The blond rummaged around in his pocket, then pulled out the plastic card. "There." He shoved it into the other's hand carelessly. "You dropped it yesterday." Shoving his hands into his pockets, Naruto turned to leave, not even waiting for an answer.

"That's all?" the indifferent voice of the slightly taller male sounded behind the blond teen.

Frowning, Naruto turned around again to send the other a confused glare. "Huh?"

"I've been gone for three years and this is all I get as a greeting?" After putting away the card, the dark-eyed teen crossed his arms over his chest, letting his weight rest on his left foot with his indifferent glare set firmly on his features. "Don't you have anything else to say, Naruto?"

The blond now turned around completely, stepping closer to the other again without noticing. "How… How do you know my name?"

Genuine confusion now appeared on the other teen's face. "What are you saying? Of course I know your name, idiot. We've known each other for quite a while now."

"Wha…" The blond only shook his head in disbelief. _Is this guy some kind of stalker? _"I don't know you, dammit! How should I? Yesterday was the first time we ever met!"

This somehow broke the mask of indifference on the stoic male's face, letting his incredulity show through slightly. His arms fell to his sides limply. "Is this some kind of joke, idiot? Cause if it is, it's not funny. Stop screwing around."

"I'm not the one screwing around, bastard!" Naruto was furious by now, mostly trying to suppress his anxiety. Creeps ran up his spine, seeing this guy act so familiar with him. As if he knew him. As if they were _close_.

Feeling a small pang of rage, the raven took a step closer to the blond, beginning to feel desperate. "Just what are you–" A hand suddenly clamped firmly over the raven's shoulder, silencing him as he was met with a stern gaze. A brunet with a spiky ponytail now stood beside him, giving him the _This won't get you anywhere so calm down and shut up_-look. "Nara." When he turned his head to Naruto again, the blond was already stalking off. The brunet clenched his teeth with a frown, then looked at Shikamaru again. "What's going on? Why doesn't he remember me?"

The other sighed, letting his hand drop from the shorter male's shoulder. "Naruto has changed, Sasuke-kun. He's not the same as three years ago anymore."

Again, Sasuke glanced into the direction the blond had stalked off to. "What happened?" Shikamaru stayed silent. "Tell me," he demanded, glaring at the brunet again.

Shikamaru stepped around Sasuke so that he was standing in front of him. "Let's talk somewhere else." He turned and walked off, expecting the raven-haired teen to follow.

Only now did Sasuke notice that the corridor was empty beside a few people rushing to their classes, the second bell having rung. Feeling only slightly uncomfortable with skipping his very first period on his first day back, he was quick to follow, somewhat dreadful to learn what exactly was going on with the blond teen.

_Naruto… Just what happened?_

* * *

><p>I'm trying to base the school system in this story as much on the Japanese school system as I can. I don't know much though and finding information is hard too, so I'll probably add in things from my own experience. The second bell, for example. I'm not sure if our school is still having that, but during breaks we have a first bell that announces the end of break, while the second chimes five minutes later and announces the start of the next period. Not sure if it's just German schools doing that. I can imagine that other countries do something similar. All in all, this story's school system is based on the Japanese school system, with German influence and some made up stuff added into it.<p>

– Murasaki B


	3. Blank Pages

Sorry for the late update. This chapter has been already finished since forever, but after having been too hasty with updating _The Art of Breaking _in the past, my first really successful fanfic, I now take a lot more time to upload chapters. Even if they're finished, I let them rest for a few days just in case anything comes to mind and I want to change something. It's mostly just edits about things that don't match up with past or future chapters.

School also started for me again and I've been focusing on making character designs a lot lately. I want to improve my drawing skills until October for a con where I'll meet some people from a publishing company and a friend who has… well… connections and will introduce me to those people. If everything goes well, I might get published, so my priorities right now lie with drawing.

Nevertheless, I'll try to upload at least every two or three weeks and not later from now on. I nearly forgot to mention: Thai people are so extremely friendly I can't deal with it! You guys are so adorable!

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span> Chapter III<span>  
><span>– Blank Pages – <span>

Sasuke was beyond the point of feeling exasperated. Shikamaru had lead him into some empty classroom, locking the door behind them as if what would be said was top-secret confidential information. Now they had been standing in the room for a long while, silently, the other brunet simply leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Not wanting to let his impatience overcome his cool, Sasuke resigned himself to waiting instead of trying to glare the brunet into talking, closing his eyes as well. Shikamaru had to start talking eventually after all.

"It started a while after you left," Shikamaru suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he watched how Shikamaru remained in that same pose while speaking, his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

"All of us were aware that it affected Naruto the most that you left," the younger teen continued. "For a while, he seemed down and smiled a little less. He still pulled pranks though and babbled nonsense whenever he could. He was depressed and even though his smiles weren't as bright as usual, they were _always_ genuine. It took a few weeks until we deemed him somewhat normal again. He _seemed_ okay. But then he suddenly started acting completely different. His smiles became forced. At some point, he suddenly quit pulling pranks completely." Shikamaru's face darkened now, his features pulling into a pained expression. "He started to change."

"What happened to him?" To Sasuke, it seemed as if he had asked this questions over a thousand times now, never getting an answer.

"I don't know," the brunet replied dully, opening his eyes to stare at a wall to his side. "No one does. He just… grew further apart from us. Day for day, he talked less, smiled less. It went on like that for a year. We tried to confront him multiple times and it always ended with him saying he was fine and walking off with that forced smile. Then summer vacation came. During that time, he apparently lost all bonds with us."

"Lost his bonds?"

Finally, Shikamaru's eyes focused on Sasuke, revealing a look of somberness. "He didn't recognize us anymore."

Only silence could be heard once again in the empty classroom. Faintly, the voice of a teacher permeated to the two occupants.

The brunet's eyes lowered to the ground, his fists clenching. "He has lost himself, Sasuke-kun. He's not the same anymore." He noticed Sasuke slightly shaking his head in disbelief, incredulity. "Right now… he's living in a different reality. To him, the bonds that we once formed with him have never existed. He doesn't even realize it himself." His gaze was piercing when he lifted his eyes to look at the raven again. "A part of his memory has been completely wiped out."

"What?" Slowly, with time passing, Sasuke was loosing his cool. His indifferent mask was crumbling, making place for his shock to show almost freely. "How is that possible? Memories can't just be wiped out like that. Repressed, yes, but not completely deleted!"

"I thought so too," Shikamaru replied cooly.

This seemed to enrage Sasuke. "Then you know it! There always is a key to lost memories."

"A smell, a sound… a person."

"Right." The brunet's eyes narrowed. "You know it. So why haven't you done anything?"

Shikamaru's eyes suddenly became heated. "I _have_, Sasuke-kun. We all tried. We went from telling him all kinds of stories of the past to shoving ramen into his face to pulling pranks on teachers. _None_ of it got us anywhere. He's completely lost it, Sasuke!"

"Are you saying he's gone mad?"

Shikamaru turned his head away, seeming as if trying to cool his raging emotions. He kept clenching and unclenching his jaw. "What I am saying is that all our attempts to recover the Naruto we once knew failed. We tried for an entire year. We always failed. And at some point, we couldn't take it anymore and gave up."

"You gave up?" Sasuke's voice was filled with accusation, anger, burning rage. "You… gave Naruto up?"

At this, Shikamaru seemed to snap. In an instant, he was standing right in front of the brunet, glowering at him. "What do you think we've been doing all this time? Do you think it's easy to just give up like that? You weren't there. Yet, you were our last hope. We were hoping that if Naruto saw you, he would remember, but he obviously didn't. You don't know how hard it is to always get that weirded out look from him. He's looking at us as if we're crazy to be talking to him like friends, which we are. But he doesn't know that anymore. He completely forgot us, his friends, and some of the most important things in his life!"

"How much exactly?" Sasuke asked, not the slightest intimidated by Shikamaru's sudden change in mood. "It can't be that he has lost his entire memory."

The brunet began to pinch the bridge of his nose, turning his back on Sasuke and walking away a little. He calmed down quickly, lifting his head to stare up at the ceiling and letting his hand fall from his face to rest on his hip. "From what I could gather, he's completely lost his episodic memories from the last year of middle school and the time he has entered high school. Faces, names and autobiographical events. It's all gone."

"Meaning his semantic memory from that time is still intact?" Though on the outside Sasuke was calm and collected, on the inside, he was in a turmoil. All kinds of feelings were rushing through his mind and he was uncertain about what was the dominant one. Was it the anger, the shock, or perhaps the incredulity?

"He doesn't have problems recalling things he learned in school during that time, so I guess the answer would be _yes_. He still remembers Sakura. That's what gave me a hint about how much exactly he has lost. And… I do have another theory about Naruto's behavior. Something that would be much worse than _simple_ memory loss." Shikamaru kept silent now. Not saying anything at all. He was waiting for more questions or some kind of response from Sasuke, but nothing came. Turning around to eye the other, he found a somewhat disturbed look on Sasuke's face, though to most people it would look like the usual cold and indifferent mask the teen wore. But Shikamaru noticed the slight frown on Sasuke's face, his eyebrows creased just a tad. "I'll give you one advice, Sasuke-kun." He waited until the other looked at him, before continuing. "Give up on Naruto. It'll only hurt to try and endure his blankness. The closer you are to him, the more it hurts."

Now staring at a bare wall, Sasuke was quick to make his decision. "I accept that parts of Naruto's mind are blank. Blank like empty sheets of paper." Sasuke averted his eyes to glare at the other with determination. "In that case, I'll be the one to rewrite those sheets with memories. May they be old or new ones." He stood his ground, even as Shikamaru kept staring at him with unwavering eyes. Sasuke nodded curtly towards the younger teen, then simply left without another word. What he didn't see though, was the small smile that appeared on the brunet's face.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you this the last time, Naruto-kun! You absolutely can't divide by zero!"<p>

"Why not, Yamato-taichou?" Frown firmly placed on the blond's features, Naruto faced the fuming teacher standing at the class room's front. "Does some kind of black hole open up like people say?"

Yamato grew more exasperated with time passing. That boy was driving him crazy! "It's just… not possible! Any kind of attempt at defining division by zero leads to a contradiction! If _a_ is the dividend, then there is no number which, multiplied by 0, gives_a_! Meaning you can't divide it! And stop addressing me like a military captain!"

This silenced the teen for only a short time. "Then what about dividing zero by zero?"

The teacher's left eyebrow began to twitch. Usually, he was a calm person. Calm, with poise and decency. Only Naruto was able to get him to shout so much. "Naruto… that would lead to contradictions as well."

"But why?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Naruto nodded surely, leaning forward in his seat a little.

Yamato released a small breath, closing his eyes and concentrating, before looking straight at Naruto again. "There's a special word for something like this, where you could conceivably give it any number of values. That word is _indeterminate_. It's not the same as _undefined_. It essentially means that if it pops up somewhere, you don't know what its value will be in your case. For instance, if you have the limit as x equaling 0 of x divided x and of 7x divided by x, the expression will have a value of 1 in the first case and 7 in the second case. Indeterminate." The man quickly noticed the blank expression on not only Naruto's face, but also other faces in his class. Yamato sighed, dropping his head in defeat. _I'm surrounded by total idiots._ He felt tempted to bang his head against the closest desk, but decided against it. Naruto had already caused enough pain to his brain. "I'll word it so that even a pre-schooler should understand."

Only a few students actually perked up in interest to listen.

"To cut a doughnut in half, you have to make two cuts," Yamato spoke up. "To cut a donut in thirds, you have to make three cuts and so on. So what do you get if you make zero cuts?" His expectant gaze drifted to Naruto.

"Nothing," the blond mumbled. "I see."

_Finally!_ Yamato now actually walked to his desk, dropped into the chair, then let his head drop onto the table top. Head-desk: Success.

_Why does he get so worked up?_ you might wonder. That's because Naruto kept asking these kind of questions all throughout the lesson. All. The time.

"You guys can leave now," came the muffled words of one Yamato, forehead and nose still connected to the desk.

The cries of joys were also muffled, but the reason was the fear of Yamato's well-known fish stare. The stare he would definitely give if anyone dared to break that last bit of patience remaining in his already strained mind. Sometimes, the man added a flashlight to that stare. Gives you the creeps.

Naruto took his time packing up his things. Only now did he realize just how distracted he had gotten during math, a subject he actually hated. It once again made it clear to him why exactly he was still going to school instead of simply running away from home: the distraction. To others it may seem lunatic, but Naruto actually went to school for the sole reason of being distracted from his own misery. For a short time, he could feel like a normal student, a normal boy attending school. Equal to his classmates, though not getting involved with those. Teasing the teachers, but never letting them get too close. He always upheld his guard with only one person able to crush it: his father. Only thinking about him sent a painful tingle down Naruto's spine, forcing a frown onto his previously brightened features.

No one was surprised about the teen's sudden mood changes by now. They simply kept to themselves, watching Naruto march out of the classroom with only mild interest.

Slowly, the corridors filled with students and Naruto rushed to get out before he would be caught up in the stream of bustling people. Nearly running, he reached the outside just in time. Across the school grounds, he could see a shock of pink hair poking out from in-between many other heads. Panic immediately enthralled him, causing him to high-tail it out of school. He somehow had the feeling Sakura would try to confront him. It was about time again.

Only a few weeks earlier, Sakura had suddenly approached him, despite the awkwardness that made up most of their friendship. She had kept asking about how he was doing, trying to force information about his home situation out of him. Almost as if she had some kind of suspicion she was trying to confirm. Somehow, Naruto had talked his way out of the situation without giving anything away. Sakura knew that his dad was a bastard, but she probably couldn't imagine just _how_ big of a bastard.

Funny. Naruto kept telling himself that no one cared, that no one needed him, yet he pushed away the one person that actually did.

Soon, Naruto could see his house in the distance, just down the street. His pace immediately slowed down and he defensively shoved his hands into his pockets. Another train of thoughts began to form in his mind, only to be harshly interrupted.

"Naruto."

The voice was firm, unrelenting, yet held concern and fondness.

Sakura.

Tensing up, Naruto turned to find the girl standing behind him, slightly out of breath as if she had been running. _Damn her and her ninja-stalking-abilities._

_"She was running and you were so engrossed in your own thoughts that you didn't hear."_

_Huh?_

_"You're too stupid to have noticed."_

_You again…_

_"Yup. The more intelligent part of your mind, at your service. I'm being caged in by images of ramen and… uh… ramen and… oh! What do you think? Freaking ramen!"_

_Uh huh… yeah. I don't get what's up with the ramen. I don't eat shit like that._

_"She's staring at you, idiot. Say something."_

_Sure…_

Only slowly did Sakura's voice make it to Naruto's head.

"Naruto!" the girl now screeched, effectively startling the blond out of his stupor.

The teen blinked, still startled. "I-I'm here."

"Apparently not," Sakura huffed in response, placing her hands on her hips. "Anyway, my mom's on a business trip and my dad's going out with colleagues. They asked me to spend the night with a friend, cause they don't want to leave me all alone. You know, with the burglar in my neighborhood and all. So… can I stay with you?" Her tone was casual, as if what she was asking wasn't coming completely out of the blue. The last time she had been at Naruto's home already lay three years in the past.

And that was the reason Naruto immediately knew that Sakura was up to something. "I-I…" He gulped, thoughts in a frenzy, his mind trying to come up with some kind of solution. _Damn you, logical mind! Where do you always run off to when I need you most? _"You know… my dad… just… came down with the flu and he told me not to bring anyone home. It's already hard enough to not get me sick, he doesn't… want to have to be even more careful, you know." The blond laughed nervously, hoping Sakura would buy it.

The casual smile on the pink-haired girl's face vanished quickly, leaving her to look serious and somewhat accusing. "Why don't you let me enter your home, Naruto?" she suddenly asked after a moment of silence. "Three years ago, I could go in and out whenever I felt like it. What has changed since that time? Why have _you_ changed so much?"

Naruto couldn't hold her gaze anymore and let his eyes drop to the ground, features darkening. "I don't know what you mean." Unbelievable how earlier, the blond had wished for Sakura to care like this, yet now wished she would just disappear and take her accusations with her.

"Don't screw with me, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, stepping closer to the teen. "It's been getting worse with you! You don't even really _try _to hide that something's up with you anymore! I want to help you, I really do. But… I just have the feeling you don't even need me anymore. As if you refuse to let me closer than necessary. That's not how friends are supposed to act around each other, Naruto."

The blond's eyebrows furrowed in growing anxiety. "What are you saying?" He watched how Sakura's eyes slowly became glazed, wetting with upcoming tears, noticing the way she pressed her lips together into a thin line, trying to prevent her lips from trembling.

"I can't do this anymore," she finally murmured with a strained, shaky voice, shaking her head. "If nothing changes and you keep shutting me out of your life like this, then I feel like a friendship between us is impossible. The base of our friendship, trust and confidence in each other, that's just missing. We'll grow even further apart, up until a point where we don't have anything connecting ud besides brief memories. I don't want that to happen, so please, let me stay at your place. Just for today." She was pleading, begging Naruto to save their friendship, yet he still couldn't look her in the eyes.

The blond hesitently shook his head in denial, clenching his fists in his pockets. "I can't let you into my house at the moment, Sakura-chan. I'm sorry."

_Just as I thought._ _He still won't let me in. _"Then…" Sakura's shaky voice brightened a tad with only a small edge of hope, "how about you come over to me? I bet my parents will feel assured either way." A small, hopeful small curled her lips now, her eyes begging Naruto to agree.

Only the imagination of spending a single night away from his dad sounded oh so tempting. It definitely would be like heaven on earth. But… "I can't do that either." _That would only earn me a worse beating than usual._

Sakura's hopes were crushed and this showed itself in her faltering expression. "Why, Naruto?"

Solemnness settled on Naruto's face, letting his anguish show through. "Nothing will ever change," the blond teen replied darkly. "No matter what you or I do, it'll only become worse." He turned, walking off quickly before Sakura could say anything.

Sakura could have run after him. She could have called after him. She could have_stopped_ him. But she remained frozen in place, tears running down her cheeks, dripping onto the hard concrete she was standing on. She had drained all off her strength, now unable to get herself to prevent Naruto from leaving.

Naruto reached his front door only a while later and crouched down in hopes of finding the key in its usual place. Gladly, it was back where it belonged and he was able to enter without having to face his dad. The black Chevy was standing nearby, but around this time, his father always was exhausted from work, giving Naruto some peace.

_I wonder if he even went to work. Did he have a hangover?_

Unsuspecting of anything dangerous approaching, Naruto carelessly dropped his things and put away his jacket and shoes. He stretched his arms over his head, trying to get Sakura's saddened face out of his mind. Seeing her hurt always had bothered him, but the fact that he was the cause of her pain only made it worse.

A sudden angered growl made the blond jump and turn to see his dad coming from the kitchen. He looked… furious. More so than usual. It was the kind of fury one could find on the face of a person that would soon kill someone and Naruto noticed this quickly.

Chills went up and down the blond's spine, apprehension quickly spreading throughout his system. He felt his legs beginning to tremble seeing the brute anger in his father's blazing eyes. Backing away, he soon bumped against a commode and tightly clawed at its edge with his shaking fingers. He gulped, before raising his voice. "W-What happened?"

A fire seemed lit in his father's murky green eyes, malice and disgust mingling into the man's anger. "Those bastards fired me!" he suddenly roared, making Naruto feel as if the earth was shaking beneath his feet. "Just cause I didn't call in sick this morning, they fired me telling me being absent without calling for three times is unacceptable!" His fist collided with a nearby wall, leaving a small dent in its wake. "Someone's gonna pay for this," the man murmured in a low, ominous tone.

Naruto knew pretty well who exactly would pay. Little did he know that soon enough he would have something even worse to face.

* * *

><p>That little scene with Yamato is something I thought up randomly during math one day. I totally copypasted the math crap from a random page cause I'm no use when it comes to math talk. In the beginning, it was supposed to be with Kakashi saying something along the lines of "If you dare to divide by zero, a black hole will open and pull you into math hell" since my old math teacher used to tell us about going to math hell. But since I'm planning way different stuff with Kakashi *wink wink*, I had to replace him with Yamato.

Hopefully, I'll be able to upload the next chapter soon.

Next chapter: One Good Reason

– Murasaki B


	4. One Good Reason

¡Hola!

Thanks to the following people for reviewing: **BeautifullySleepDeprived**, **Lazy Gaga**, **Adevlo. D**, **greywindfalcon**, **.Relax**, **ItooshiHe Koneko**, **XxxWhiteRoselilly**, **TabHe Caracu**, **soratanaka**, **ttixz lone cone bebe**, **Xx-ChibiKanachan-Xx**, **distantdreamer104**, **TehSandman**, **MissInfinity** and **Anonymous**.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter IV<span>  
><span>– One Good Reason –<span>

Naruto woke up after another painful evening when it was definitely dark outside. He couldn't get himself to stand up and find a clock, so he just laid there, feeling pulsing pain coursing through his body. Not even able to lift one finger without causing more pain, the blond remained laying there for a while. Only after ten minutes, the fact that he had been used once again sunk in. Slowly his mind succumbed to the unbearable pain and sickening fear, unable to grasp even a shred of sanity.

In a sudden rush of panic, Naruto ignored his pain to grab his nearby pants. He struggled on until he was finally off the bed and instead leaning against it, panting heavily, numbed by pain, paralyzed. Pants in his hands, he slowly reached into a pocket to pull out his phone, snapping it open with his thumb. He quickly dialed a familiar number, feeling tears already sliding down his cheeks. Sobs ripped from his throat, breaths coming out raspy.

After only a few rings, someone picked up on the other line. _"Hello?"_

All Naruto did for a while was sobbing into the phone, unable to get his lips to form words for they were trembling with his shaky breathing.

_"Hello?"_ the voice on the other voice uttered confusedly. _"Who is this?"_

_Why am he even calling him? _Naruto was close to hyperventilating now. "K-Kyuubi?"

_"No. Wrong number."_

Another sob passed the blond's lips. "Goddammit. I'm even too d-damn stupid to dial a g-goddamn nu-number right. I'm so so-so-sorry."

The stranger was silent for a while, listening to Naruto sobbing into the phone. _"It's fine."_

_Hang up, Naruto. Hang up. Hang up. Hang up. Hang up. Hang up, goddammit!_

_"Oi…" _the stranger finally spoke up again. _"What's up with you crying into the phone?"_

_Dammit. Dammit. Fucking dammit! _It took a while for Naruto to compose himself at least a little, enough to force out something other than sobs. "My damn l-life's so f-fucked up, th-that's what's up."

The stranger didn't answer right away, seeming to think about something. _"Why?"_

_He didn't know this guy, but…_ Naruto's sobs began to die down, only leaving him to sniffle. "M-My dad… h-he just… again…" Now the blond's crying became heavier again and he wondered why the stranger hadn't hung up yet.

_"Tell me."_ The voice sounded demanding, but also held something like curious kindness.

Naruto tangled his own hand in his tousled hair, pulling at it somewhat desperately. "M-My dad just… raped me…" His voice was nothing but a tear-stricken whisper, but still audible, "again."

Once more, it was silent on the other end. Not even a small gasp was heard, something one would except from someone being told anything even close to that.

The blond teen felt like drowning in his own despair and sadness, surrounded by constant misery and loathing. As if he was floating in a slough of violence he couldn't get out, only being pulled in deeper when he tried to escape.

_"Don't do anything stupid."_

This somehow snapped Naruto out of his misery, even if just for a little. "What?"

_"I said: don't do anything stupid."_

"I got that, s-smart-ass! I want to know wh-why the hell you just… just…" And so the wailing ensued, continuing for a few minutes and with the stranger remaining silent.

With that accidental phone call, a wonderful friendship was to start.

Not.

* * *

><p><em>I absolutely hate my life.<em>

That was what Naruto told himself every time he went to school. It's easy to imagine why. Today's reason for that thought: He was aching all over, his entire body felt like one big bruise, his wounds were burning like hell and to top it all, he felt as if someone had just shoved a hot iron up his ass. In short: He felt like shit. Pain killers were great, but apparently, not great enough.

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto arrived in front of the school gate with Lee giving him that weird-ass pose. Gai-sensei and him called it great-gay-pose or something like that. Naruto could swear his teeth actually _sparkled_ when he grinned like that! And as always, he marched past Lee without saying anything. He didn't want him to start rambling crap about youth and all that stuff. Gai-sensei had definitely somehow brain-washed him, he was sure of it.

Naruto walked down the empty corridor then, able to ignore the pain after so many years of abuse. Only few people were there. As always. Pretty much everyone ignored or glared at him. As always, nothing new. He went up to the roof, finding the doors unlocked. As always. How exciting!

Standing in front of the roof's fence now, he realized how monotonous his life actually was. His days always looked the same. He didn't have any hobbies and now that Sakura had left, he didn't have any friends either. Anyone that didn't actually hate him ignored him instead. Sure, people tripped him, threw stuff at him randomly, got a lot madder when _he _accidentally bumped into them instead of just anyone, but it wasn't like they hated him, right? There was no reason to hate him. At least… that's what he had been telling himself the past years, hell, his entire _life_. He wondered if anyone would even notice and be sad if he were gone. Sakura would, definitely. That was one person. Then… who else was there? There was still Kyuubi. And maybe his teachers would be a little sad, but it wouldn't be as if the world had just ended. For no one. They would all get over it eventually and then…

_Ha ha! As if I'd actually kill myself._

He didn't have the guts, or else he'd be lying in some cozy grave already right now. He wondered if coffins were comfy? They should be, shouldn't they? But if you were already dead…

_That's what you get for having a short attention span, Naruto._

He could have gone on forever. Thinking about death, coffins, graves. Was that normal? He guessed not.

He didn't notice the door behind him opening until he felt someone's eyes on him. Years of being glared at from behind your back just did that to you. You just _know_ when someone's looking at you. He turned around and found Sakura standing a few feet away from him, looking at him blankly. "Sakura-chan?"

Warily, she came closer to him and kept her eyes on the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold. "Can we talk?" she asked in a timid-sounding voice.

He only nodded, not trusting his voice right now. It was still sore from screaming and sobbing on end yesterday.

Sakura started to rub her arm nervously and her eyes flicked to his face every now and then. "I'm sorry… about yesterday. I was actually trying to get you to open up to me, but you… you… No, I _felt_ as if you're just too far away, you know?"

He thought his staring at her somehow was making her uncomfortable, so he looked away and at the school grounds again, where people were hanging around. Like always.

"What were you thinking about just now?" she suddenly asked, walking closer until she was standing right beside him. She too stared down at the many people living their usual morning.

He realized that since she had arrived, he hadn't actually thought about anything like earlier. What he had been thinking about earlier… "Death."

He thought she jumped a little. Not only from hearing something like that out of his mouth, but also because his voice sounded rough and husky. Somehow… cynical. She stared at him with her eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

Why should he hide it from her? It wasn't as if it would change anything. "I was thinking about how it would be if I died. Who would be sad? Would it change anything? Stuff like that." He knew it probably was weird how he was saying all of that with a straight and somehow bored face. Maybe that Nara was rubbing off on him.

By now she was looking straight at him, ignoring the people below them that looked like ants from their point of view. "You shouldn't want to die, Naruto."

Now he turned his head to look at her too. He thought his face must have looked pretty devoid of emotions, since she seemed even sadder now. "Give me just one good reason why, Sakura-chan."

"You…" Her face became blank. He could see it in her face how she was struggling to find an answer. A reason for him to live. "That…" She couldn't think of anything. "You don't necessarily need a reason to live!" she suddenly shouted.

"Easy for you to say." He didn't feel the slightest bit different about her suddenly shouting at him like that. She gave him a look saying _What the hell?_, asking him to explain himself. "Your life is normal… average. You have parents that send you off to school with a smile. You don't have issues with getting good grades. People don't hate you for no reason. You have your handful of friends and maybe a few people you just don't get along with. You have goals in life and things to achieve. You're troubled by things every normal teenager our age is troubled by. Someone like you, someone that lives a normal life… a life you're supposed to live as a teenager… someone like you doesn't need a reason to live. You don't need something that keeps you from jumping off the next bridge. There's nothing to drive you to keep struggling with life because you don't struggle. That's why we're different, Sakura-chan. I need a reason like that. I need something that keeps me living, something I can tell myself to encourage myself to go on. I don't have anything like that at all though. The only reason I'm living right now is cause I'm afraid. But you know… I always tell myself that one day, I'll have the courage to jump off this roof and end it all."

_Now she's dumb-founded. Awesome, Naruto! You just scored! Sensitivity: 0 and Naruto: 1! Not funny? Guess not. She's crying. Fuck…_ _She looks so shocked. Wait, is she choking? Ah… No, she's just hyperventilating._

…

_Double fuck…_

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><p>I'm wondering if maybe I should make my chapters longer. In my last really long multi-chaptered story, the chapters were around 3000 to 4000 words long and now my chapters are something around 2000 to 3000 words long. Is that too short? I mean, other people's chapters are much shorter, but I'm not used to writing that kind of length.<p>

Edit: I deleted the first part of this chapter because I didn't like it anymore, so this chapter is quite short now. The story has progressed so far now though that I see no need to add anything just to make the chapter longer.

Next chapter: Little Black Lies

– Murasaki B


	5. Little Black Lies

Osu! No, that's weird for a girl to say… So I was intending to upload this sooner (this has been finished for… a week… at least), but school kept me busy and I just never had the energy to proof-read this properly before. Most of the energy I had left after school flowed into drawing.

Now thanks a lot to my reviewers! You know who you are, so now I'll be thanking any new reviewers, since this part of the A/N is getting kinda too long otherwise. So thanks to **MidnightMarten** (so there are people who actually look at my art!), ** -fan** (oh ho, seems like I've got lots of DGM fans among the ranks of my precious reviewers *is a total DGM-tard herself*… And y u no have Private Messaging? Y u no let me send you mails of thank-you?!), **12TheFallenOne12** and **LindaH** for reviewing.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

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><p><span>Chapter V<span>  
><span>– Little Black Lies –<span>

After Naruto had somehow gotten Sakura to calm down, they both went to the nurse's office. Shizune, the assistant of the head nurse Tsunade, had given the pink-haired girl an extremely confused look. Usually, it was Naruto being brought by Sakura for different reasons. After some calming words from the dark-haired woman, Shizune had persuaded Sakura into laying down for the rest of the period. The first period had already started and Naruto was about to miss it completely.

Naruto left a while later, heading to his class. The issue with Sakura was now that he didn't know if she considered him a friend again or not, but he decided to think about that later. The blond turned a corner, thoughts now on his next period, and BAM! Lee was standing in front of him in all his leotard-glory.

_I wonder what he would do if our school was stricter and actually had us wearing uniforms like all the other schools. I'm glad we don't have to wear extra slippers in school either._

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

The blond only cocked an eyebrow in question. "Uh… shouldn't_ you_ be in class too?"

"I have a free period," the bowl-haired teen replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you? Spending your youth lurking around here… It's a waste."

Naruto sighed, already annoyed with the other. He decided against giving Lee crap like he usually did. He had already upset enough people today. "Sakura-chan didn't feel well all of a sudden and I escorted her to the nurse's office. Will you let me go to class now, before the bell–"

_RING!_

_Awesome…_

Sighing once again, the blond left Lee to scold someone else and walked towards his next class. P.E. with Maito Gai as his teacher. Oh joy.

He was one of the first to arrive at the lockers and was still pondering wether or not he should participate in his P.E. class. Dumping all of his stuff in the metal cabin, ignoring the P.E. shirt that had his name sown on it and the pants belonging to it, he heard steps approaching.

"Naruto-kun!" a joyful voice boomed. A bowl-haired, sparkle-grinning man with bushy eyebrows in a leotard walked up to the teen. "How is your cold doing? Are you able to live your youth to the fullest again?"

_Cold? Oh right, that's what I told him last week. Guess I can go with that. _"Not so good, to be honest. I…"

One of Gai's eyebrows cocked warily. "Naruto-kun, show me your hands."

_My hands?_ Confused, Naruto complied and lifted his hands for the man to see. _Now_ he noticed what was up. His hands were shaking like mad. "Oh…"

"Do you use any medication?"

_This is going better than I thought. Never would've thought a constant after-trauma-shock… or whatever… would come in handy like this. _"I'm using pain killers and some cold medicine. Why?" _Well… half of that is true. I think we don't even have cold medicine anywhere. I'm never sick like that, so I only ever need painkillers. Now that I think of it, I probably use those _way_ too often._

"I think you shouldn't join class today," the man uttered in a rarely heard serious tone. "The medication might be affecting you negatively."

_Lucky!_ Naruto managed to somehow look disappointed, but inwardly he was celebrating. "I-I guess you're right." He sent the man a small smile, feeling successful as the man turned around with a smile as well, but still looking worried.

P.E. then started with Naruto sitting at the side and watching the boys play basketball, while the girls occupied themselves with volleyball. Now he was even gladder about not having to join, seeing people being roughly shoved to the ground and freaking _jumping_ for fuck's sake. He curiously watched the girls in their shirts and tight red bloomers. Somehow he was glad about not being a girl. He couldn't imagine cramping… _himself_ into something tiny like that. Though girls didn't have anything they would have to cramp in so…

Some of the girls started sending him glares and only now did Naruto notice how he was actually staring at the girls jumping around in tiny pants, probably giving off heavy perv-waves. Now turning his head away to watch the boys play again, Naruto noticed some of the guys looking at him too. The blond ignored the worried looks he received from the Nara guy and his weird-ass friends. They _all_ gave him worried looks whenever he seemed the slightest bit sick or hurt or troubled. Creepy. And annoying to top it. Though Inuzuka seemed as if he was glaring at him. Naruto returned the glare full force, only to see the anger on the other's face falter quickly to be replaced with what could be described as utter sadness. _Creepy!_

Soon P.E. ended and Naruto rushed to get out of there, afraid Nara could try and confront him again, insisting that they were friends or something. It had been a while since him and his friends had last tried and it seemed they had given up, but the blond only wanted to be sure and remained careful around them.

Naruto was soon outside – break was starting after all – and stretched a little, but winced when his wounds began to burn furiously.

_Damn painkillers. Why won't you hold out longer?_

The blond began to frantically rummage through his backpack, but couldn't find the life-saving pills. His thoughts went into a mad, frenzied panic, when he realized that he was completely out of any pain-relieving substances. And he still had at least four periods to go!

_Fuck… What an awesome day, huh?_

Releasing a mix out of an exasperated sigh and a grunt, Naruto stalked off to go to the roof. He didn't want to have to go back through the crowd, so he decided to enter through the back door. It was dark and wet there, way too scary for some people and causing rumors of ghosts and killer-janitors to be told about that place. The blond ignored those rumors and walked in and out there whenever he liked without ever encountering ghosts or the like.

Naruto was walking along the side the school, when suddenly a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his movements.

"Huh?" The irritated blond turned to see cold eyes staring back at him. "What do you want, bastard?" His voice was still hoarse from screaming.

Something like delight – about the insult perhaps – flicked over the other's face, though it was hard to see with that indifferent expression he constantly wore. "Why didn't you join P.E. earlier?"

The younger of the two yanked his hand free and crossed his arms. "Why should you care?"

"Just answer my question, idiot." Sasuke already seemed annoyed, averting his gaze to stare at far-away trees outside the school grounds.

"I didn't feel well," Naruto replied curtly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll leave." He turned to do exactly that, leave, but Sasuke didn't let him. Again, his wrist was grabbed and he was being yanked back. "What the hell?" the blond yelled. He tried to pull away again, leaning back only slightly as he did so. That small movement let pain resurface much worse than it had been only a few hours ago. Naruto couldn't keep in his pained wince and of course, the raven-haired teen noticed this.

"What's up with your stomach?" he asked sternly.

Trying to break free, Naruto kept trying to pry off Sasuke's hand. "Nothing." He gasped in pain when he was suddenly pushed against a wall, the other's face close to his. "Let me go." His voice lacked the venom he had intended to put into it and was way too quiet. For Naruto's standards anyway.

"What's up with your stomach?" Sasuke inquired again, this time more rigorously. The blond didn't answer and remained silent, so he decided to see for himself. In one swift movement, Sasuke's hand shot down to grab the hem of Naruto's shirt. He tried to pull it up, but the other was quick to react, grabbing the older male's hands and trying to push Sasuke away.

They both fought for a while, Sasuke trying to pull up Naruto's shirt and the blond in return trying to push the raven away. One moment of slow reaction was enough for Sasuke to finally get a good hold of the gray shirt and to pull it up. Naruto froze, now giving up on trying to hide it.

The blond was shaking by now, feeling reminded of his father trying to get him out of his clothes as fast as possible. He had to desperately hold back his tears, though the shaking got worse.

And Sasuke kept staring.

"Are you done staring?" Naruto couldn't prevent his voice from sounding tear-stricken and weak, breaking.

The raven seemed to finally snap out of it and he quickly let go of the blond's shirt. His eyes focused on the younger teen now, fixing him with a questioning, but still indifferent glare. "What are these bruises and cuts on your hips and… is that an _M_ on your stomach? Is it a tattoo or…" He couldn't see the other's eyes, since Naruto's head was dropped and his eyes were covered by his bangs.

"That's none of your business." _Stupid, _stupid_ voice! Can't you stop sounding so… so… damn teary! _Naruto pressed his palms to the wall he was standing against, clawing at the stone with his shaky fingers.

Sasuke was truly shocked when he could see small trails of tears running down Naruto's face, small droplets dripping from his chin. He stepped back, feeling as if he'd hurt the blond by simply being too close. "Of course it's my business!"

"Why?" Even though Naruto didn't sob at all, desperation and sadness still lined his shaky words. "Why don't you leave me alone? Now that I've gotten rid of Nara and his creepy friends, _you_ show up and ruin everything again!" His head shot up to send Sasuke a heated glare. Sniffling, Naruto tried to wipe away his tears, but new ones kept falling anyway.

The brunet kept staring at Naruto for a while, mild shock apparent in his eyes, but of course not showing through. "You're ruining yourself, Naruto! Don't you notice that?"

"It's people like you I hate," the blond began to murmur, stopping to wipe his tears away and letting them fall freely. "People like Nara that only try to comfort others to make themself feel better."

"He's comforting you because you're his friend, Naruto!"

"Something like friendship doesn't exist! People don't want to be lonely and so they _worry_ if their so-called friends are in trouble! They don't want to be lonely and don't want feel bad about _not_ doing anything!"

"What kind of stupid logic is that?" Sasuke was beginning to seriously doubt the blond's sanity. Was this really the same guy that oh so desperately had tried to make friends years ago, grinning and laughing so obnoxiously all the time, hopelessly naive and kind-hearted? "What happened to you? You're–"

"Cynical? Cold-hearted? Bitter?" Naruto's face was serious, something the raven had never seen before. Not like his.

Sasuke shook his head, at a loss for words. "No, you're…"

"Like you?"

Now that shocked Sasuke. Why? Because it was true. He kept his gaze on those cerulean blue eyes, trying to find something familiar. That naive happiness he hoped to see wasn't there though. All he could see was grief and anger. In his own rage, Sasuke roughly grabbed Naruto's shoulders and shook him. "Don't you even realize that you're missing something? How much you've forgotten?"

"Don't tell me Nara sent you!" the blond shouted in response, trying to wriggle his way out of Sasuke's hold, but his attempts were futile. "He and the others went on about this crap too. I'm sick of it! I've never been friends with any of you, so leave me alone and fuck off!"

Unable to control his temper, the older male's nails dug into the blond's shoulders, Sasuke ignoring the small yelp of shock and pain. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't know me!" _He can't. It can't be that he has forgotten everything._

"I don't!" the blond hissed, finally shaking off the other's hands. "I don't know you! That time in the café was the first time I've ever seen you! I knew you were a damn bastard from the beginning. I just knew it!"

A few years ago, being called a bastard by Naruto was more like the use of a nickname, teasing among friends and rivals. But now… it hurt more than Sasuke had ever imagined something out of Naruto's mouth could. He just stood there, silently and unmoving, even as the blond left. Both hadn't heard the bell ringing and Sasuke didn't notice how Naruto left the school grounds completely instead of returning to class. The raven kept blankly staring at the empty spot the younger teen had just stood at.

_I need to talk to Shikamaru-kun._

* * *

><p>Skyward Sword is such a lovely game…<p>

The OCD part of my brain forces me to write _something _as an A/N, okay! I can't stand this part being empty, so just ignore my random crap please.

Next chapter: Suicidal-Mode

– Murasaki B


	6. Suicidal Mode

I need some kind of standard greeting. This is getting awkward.

Now to the people freshly added to my list of awesome people: **animerockchic**,** InstantKarma83**, **EdenRain**, **sathreal**, **Melissa** (Did you review a story by me before? Your name seems oddly familiar…), **AlessaLoveless** (Y u disable PMing? Y u no let me send you thank-you mails?), **Year of the riceball**, **uchihasayuri1** (*mega-glomp* There, I did it. I just have the urge to glomp extremely awesome people who review every single chapter in one go), **starchild **(the effort you put into writing a review is praise enough for me *bows gloriously for some reason*) and **person** (whoever you may be). I hope to see your opinion on this chapter as well.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter VI<span>  
><span>– Suicidal-Mode –<span>

After the confrontation with Naruto, Sasuke couldn't concentrate at all on his next classes, biology with Mitarashi Anko and art with Akasuna Sasori. It was all he could do not to cause any grave fires with his heated glare. Even his fangirls backed away in fear when faced with the unusual look of extreme rage in his obsidian eyes. He was eager to finally hear the bell ring, interrupting his art teacher's babbling about eternal beauty. What was even more disturbing to everyone was the fact that the redhead, Akasuna Sasori, looked to be even younger than the sixteen-year-olds he was teaching, but rumor had it that he was already at least thirty. Gladly, the lesson ended soon enough and Sasuke was finally able to leave for break. He rushed down the corridors, searching for Shikamaru, but couldn't find him even after several minutes. Huffing, he headed for the benches outside since he knew that most people from his class usually ate lunch there. Once he arrived there, he still couldn't spot the one he was looking for. Sasuke frowned as he turned around to go look inside again, when he was suddenly faced with probing eyes.

"Sasuke-kun," the taller and older boy nodded towards the raven in greeting, arms casually placed in his pockets.

"Neji-kun." Sasuke also nodded casually, seeing more figures approaching from behind the gray-eyed teen. Before he could search for Shikamaru though, Neji spoke up.

"You talked to Naruto," he uttered matter-of-factly. His eyes were trained on Sasuke's face and quickly noticed the slight scowl settling on the other's face at his words. "And it didn't go well."

The raven now averted his eyes, jaw clenching.

"It's also unsettling you."

Obsidian eyes shot back to Neji with slight annoyance. "Would you stop analyzing me like that, Hyuuga?"

A different voice sounded now. "Yeah, Neji." It was the brunet Kiba, a smirk on his face, revealing his pointy fangs. "It's scary how you seem to be able to read other people's mind. That's seriously creepy, man."

More people joined the small group, among them Shikamaru causing Sasuke to feel a tiny bit relieved.

"I need to talk to you," Sasuke announced directly, ignoring the others completely as he kept his eyes on Shikamaru.

The brunet quickly noticed the unusual look of unease on the raven-haired teen's face, something most people probably weren't able to pick up. He didn't have an IQ of over 200 for no reason. Being able to read people's faces was a basic ability to him. "Sure, but let's sit down first."

The now much larger group wandered over to the nearby benches and tables, plopping down and beginning to eat. Other than Shikamaru, Neji and Kiba, Sasuke now recognized the others he hadn't seen in years. Firstly there was Sakura, who seemed very down, keeping her eyes on the tabletop all the time. Beside her was the blonde Ino, talking animatedly with a nervous Hinata, who kept stuttering out answers every now and then in their somewhat one-sided conversation. In front of the timid girl sat the ever silent Shino, who was able to ignore Kiba that kept poking and prodding him. Lastly, there was also Chouji eating chips beside Shikamaru. Sasuke didn't even wonder about the absence of Lee and Tenten, who, together with Neji, were visiting a grade higher. Both were probably occupied with Gai-sensei and his weird quirks.

"I guess you talked to Naruto then," Shikamaru assessed, seeming bored like always.

Sasuke only nodded, trusting the brunet to be aware of the outcome of that confrontation.

Shikamaru sighed, burying his face into one hand propped up on the table, the other one casually laying on the table top. "How troublesome. I was hoping it would go differently."

The mood of the whole table now changed, seeming to deflate and darken. Everyone's face gained a look of sadness, some more obvious than others.

"You told me about a theory you have," Sasuke spoke up, breaking the depressed silence. "What kind of theory is that?"

Ino now perked up, a look of curiosity lighting up her light-green eyes. "Yeah, you never told us about it."

The pony-tailed teen's posture changed and he sat up more straight, eyes narrowing. "I can't be sure if it's even a possibility. It's pretty… far fetched, to say the least."

"What do you mean?" Neji inquired, features unchanging.

Shikamaru's head dropped back and the teen let his eyes focus on the clouds floating by high over his head. "It's something based on assumptions, not proven facts. It's really just a vague guess about what could be up with Naruto. It would explain most things though."

"Just spit it out already, Shikamaru!" Kiba was already exasperated and ready to punch the other brunet if he didn't spill it. He even sat up from the bench and leaned over the table as if he was about to grab Shikamaru in his anger.

A quick huff left the pony-tailed teen's mouth before he straightened up completely, eyes stern and features serious. "Naruto could have developed a split personality."

Several pairs of eyes widened in shock, startled gasps sounded. Everyone stared at Shikamaru with some hoping he was actually joking. Their hopes were quickly crushed though seeing the utterly serious look on the brunet's face.

"Tell me it's not true."

Inwardly Shikamaru flinched, glancing sideways to look at Sakura. He felt bad at seeing the tears in the pink-haired girl's face. "I can't. Not for sure."

Neji was the one most composed, even Sasuke seeming off. The long-haired teen fixed Shikamaru with his stern bluish-gray eyes. "Explain yourself, your theory."

Shikamaru released a long sigh, having been prepared for that kind of reaction. "We've already assessed that something terrible must have happened in Naruto's life at some point. Something that changed him and caused him to lose his memories. And usually, a person suffering from trauma-induced memory loss regains his memories either on his own or with a kind of key. I've already told you guys all this. That's why we've been trying to get Naruto to open up to us for the past years so we could find that key. I was starting to have doubts when nothing seemed to work. Naruto never showed any kind of recognition, not even the slightest. No brief flashbacks, no sense of familiarity, absolutely nothing. Even though he still knows Sakura, his personality has completely changed. So I started to think… that maybe his personality split and this new personality is the dominant one with the _real_ Naruto being repressed in his own mind. Constantly. Naruto probably was so unstable that this new personality took him over completely. Something like that is possible, right, Ino?"

The blonde seemed to snap out of a daze, jumping in her seat, shock still apparent on her features. "I'm… not sure. I think my dad only had one patient with a split personality before. Of course he never told me names or any important details, but I don't think that patient developed a split personality that dominated the original one so much. But… it's definitely not impossible."

"There's one thing I don't quite understand though," Neji cut in, gaining everyone's attention. "How does this new personality have Naruto's memories, even if it lacks those few years?"

Not Shikamaru answered this time, even though Neji had addressed him, but Ino was the one to raise her voice. "It could be that Naruto first lost his memories and then his personality split," she stated in a weak voice. "Split personalities definitely have access to the original personality's memories and knowledge, so it's possible."

"It would explain why we can't get Naruto to remember us," Shikamaru explained. "This new personality only has access to Naruto's memories, but not to the ones he lost. The lost memories are, if anything, locked away together with the real Naruto. It's also likely that this new personality isn't even aware of being a split personality, thinking it's been the dominant one for all of Naruto's life."

For the first time in a while, Sasuke spoke. "That really sounds far-fetched," he stated, arms crossed over his chest.

"But it's possible," Neji replied. This time he actually fixed Ino with a stern gaze instead of Shikamaru. "If all of this really is the case and another personality is dominating Naruto, how high are the chances of the real Naruto gaining control again someday?"

Ino's eyes immediately saddened even more. The girl pressed together her lips to prevent them from trembling. Her shoulders hunched, she didn't look at anyone.

She didn't answer.

Silence reigned over the table for a long time. All teens began to become lost in their own thoughts, Sakura struggling to hold back her tears. Sasuke's eyes were void of any emotions, his mind reeling to comprehend those new informations.

Should he believe Shikamaru's theory or not?

* * *

><p>Birds chirped happily, sitting on trees bearing lush green leaves, a light breeze ruffling them. The wide sky was bright and blue as ever, only a few fluffy-looking clouds occupying it.<p>

In short: Naruto hated it.

Everything seemed too peaceful, too beautiful, too cheery.

Naruto felt insignificant. Nothing that he did or that happened to him would ever affect this world. Things would go on normally, people would continue to live their life like always. Nothing would ever change.

_I seriously should quit this suicidal shit._

The blond groaned when he finally got up from the park bench, grumpily shoving his hands into his pockets. It wasn't anywhere near afternoon, school probably having ended, but Naruto didn't care. He knew that he would be beaten up at home by his father anyway, even if he didn't have a reason. Great, then Naruto would give him a reason. Skipping school to be exact. Wouldn't change anything at all.

His walk home was made up of trying to keep in loud yelps of pain and enraged yells of profanities over said pain. People were giving the boy weird looks, but they were all ignored coldly. Naruto kept forcing himself to walk without a break, starting to think of the pain as being necessary to block out his thoughts. As long as he concentrated on the pain, his mind couldn't go into suicidal-mode.

_Awesome logic, Naruto._

Then there was it again. That feeling of someone looking at him. Someone that didn't want to be seen by Naruto and was watching him secretly. Hiding. Following. Watching.

It was ignored.

It didn't take long for the blond to get home, since the park he was coming from wasn't far away from his house. For some reason, he wasn't scared or anxious. He just… didn't care about what his father did to him anymore. No matter how many wounds his father would inflict on him, no matter how much he would trash-talk him, Naruto simply didn't care anymore. It seemed to be much easier that way.

When the teen was about to knock, a voice suddenly chimed from behind, interrupting him.

"Hey, Naruto!"

The blond turned to find a man wearing his brown hair in a ponytail approaching him. A scar ran over his nose, but it took the boy a while to recognize him. "Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka stepped closer until he was right in front of the teen, grinning at him happily. "It's been so long since I last saw you. You've grown so much! How have you been?" The man was now laughing cheerfully, seeing his former student from middle school.

_How I have been? Well, aside from the fact that my dad rapes and beats me up on a regular basis, fine actually. Of course, just as long as I don't go into suicidal-mode, where I just want to jump from the next bridge and end my misery._

"Um… fine," Naruto replied, head lowering.

The brunet didn't take much notice of the lack of naive happiness in the blond's eyes, dismissing it as Naruto having become older and more mature.

Nervously scratching the back of his head, the blue-eyed teen finally looked at his former teacher again. "What are you doing here, Iruka-sensei? Didn't you transfer to another school somewhere in Kumo?"

"I did," Iruka responded, "but I moved back to Konoha and felt like visiting you and your dad. Come to think of it, how's your dad doing?"

Unconsciously, Naruto let his hand drop from his head and tightened his fists, letting his nails dig into his palms. "Just fine. Why don't you ask him yourself?" It seemed his acting skills had improved over the last years.

Iruka had no clue.

"Then let's go inside so I can say _Hi_ to your dad. I haven't seen him for years either. Last time I saw him he was signing up for the same job in Konoha High School I was. They would've taken me you know, but then I suddenly got this job offering in Kumo and so… Well, you know that already. I told you about it after all." The man grinned happily, forcing Naruto to put on a weak, but still fake smile. Iruka knocked, still wearing a smile, and giddily waited together with Naruto for the door to open.

When it did, both stood face to face with an angry-looking, white-haired man. His face immediately softened when he caught sight of Iruka.

"Iruka?" he mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

A lop-sided grin revealed the brunet's teeth, Iruka stepping closer to his friend to engulf him in a half-hug. "Mizuki! I just moved back here and felt like visiting you after such a long time. I would've come sooner, but I never seemed to get the chance to do so. Can I come in?"

Mizuki seemed a little dazed, but composed himself again. "Sure, sure. Come in." He stepped aside to let both males inside, sending Naruto a sly smirk when Iruka couldn't see.

"So how have you and Naruto been?" Iruka inquired in a friendly manner.

The white-haired man wrapped one arm around Naruto's shoulders with a grin, pulling him closer. "Great, really. Naruto's been doing better in school lately."

"Really?" At this the brunet's face of course immediately brightened up. "Is that true, Naruto?"

The blond tensed up, not used to receiving so much positive attention, starting to shyly scratch the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah. Well… I'm at least not as bad anymore. My grades are pretty much average right now, nothing special, you know." If Naruto were any worse in school, he would only end up being beaten up more. At least that had been his logic until now.

"That's great to hear, really." To Iruka, the two males presented the picture of a normal father with a normal son. Naruto seemed a little off though, but it had been at least three years, probably longer, since he had last seen the teen. Who knew if he was upset or always acting like that. Either way, Iruka was sure Mizuki would handle it just well.

Naruto couldn't suppress the shivers that began to wreck his body when Mizuki's hold around his shoulders tightened. "I-I think I really need to… start… doing homework and all." He tore away from the white-haired man's arms and dashed upstairs after throwing off his jacket and shoes.

Glancing after the blond, Iruka began to worry. "Is something wrong?" He then noticed the look of concern matching his own on his childhood friend's face. "Is he still being bullied because of this… this whole Kyuubi thing?"

Mizuki bit his lower lip, a pained look lining his features. "Yeah," he replied, nodding. "He never talks about it though."

Iruka came closer to his friend until he was able to place one hand on the white-haired man's shoulders in a reassuring way. "I'm your friend, Mizuki. You know I trust you with your decisions, but I really think you should tell Naruto the truth about now. Before he finds out on his own through other ways, you should tell him. He's old enough."

"That's the problem, Iruka! I don't think he'll be able to handle it! He's going through so much right now."

Iruka turned around and walked away a few steps, running a hand over his hair. "I'm not responsible for him like you are, so it's really not my place to tell him." Turning around again, he revealed his serious and stern face. "But you should tell him. You really should. Maybe it'll help him to cope with his issues better." Stealing a small glance at his wristwatch, Iruka's eyes widened. "I really need to go now it seems. A few acquaintances are coming over to my new apartment to help me move in all my furniture. Tell Naruto _Bye_ from me too!"

Mizuki waved back at his friend as he left in a hurry, waiting until the door shut behind Iruka and the sound of his hasty steps faded into silence. A sly grin spread on his face as the man made his way up the stairs and to Naruto's room. The door to the teen's room had no lock, so Mizuki could _always _enter whenever he liked. He pushed open the creaking door, feeling delighted at the sight of Naruto sitting on his bed as if waiting to be broken by him. The white-haired man knelt down in front of the sitting teen, placing his hands on the jeans-clad thighs. Slowly, he raked his fingers over the material of the blond's jeans. His hands wandered higher and higher, confusion beginning to mingle into his excitement when Naruto didn't even flinch. Naruto was shaking, but Mizuki couldn't find anything close to fear on his face when he looked. "Have you finally resigned yourself to your fate, Naruto-kun?"

Dead cerulean eyes only slowly flicked towards Mizuki's face. "What fate?"

"Your fate as my fuck-toy."

Naruto lowered his gaze from the man's face again, staring down at the hands inching dangerously close to his crotch. "I guess so," he mumbled, hoping for a sudden turn of events where Mizuki would become bored of his victim not resisting anymore.

"Good," the man purred, watching as the blond teen's eyebrows creased in confusion. "Because you'll soon be other people's fuck-toy too. I don't have a job now after all."

* * *

><p>Whatever you're assuming about that last part, it's probably right. I'm cruel, I know. But it's fun.<p>

Some people complained a bit about the chapters being so short. I _will_ make them longer, something between 4000 or 6000 words, but that's impossible right now since I've already planned at least eight chapters ahead and they all have a set point where they end. Putting chapters together wouldn't work since there really are parts that just don't fit together in one chapter and _have_ to end at a certain point. I'll try to update more often to make up for the shortness, but I can't promise anything.

On another note, I messed up badly. I wasn't intending to easily give away the identity of Naruto's father, but I accidentally left in something from the old story in one of the early chapters and, oblivious like I am, even adopted it into the last chapter. That was completely misleading. Now you know who it is anyway, so it doesn't really matter anymore.

Next chapter: Dog Tears

– Murasaki B


	7. Dog Tears

'Elo there! Who of you saw any reaction videos on Amnesia, Penumbra or Nightmare House? I did! And it was hilaaarious. Yes, that's what I do when my brain's too exhausted to produce chapters. I watch videos of Swedes jumping out of their chairs in fear of a Grunt wanting to play with them.

I just about melted into goo reading **The Only Rose**'s review. I never had a fan liking me for being bilingual. I better not tell her that I'm learning Latin in school and Japanese and Korean at home. And I mean, like everyday. Japanese and Korean that is, not Latin. Latin is a horrible language with a grammar similar to that of German. It's horrible. Don't tell her though! It's a secret!

Of course I cherish all my other reviewers just as much. I actually melt… Yes, _melt_ when I read _any_ reviews. Even if it's just a three-word-sentence. So thanks to **Babywolfchick1142**, **heartbreakerninja**, **ExemplaryRadiation**, **xxKuroTsukiNekoxx**, **skyglazingMaro**, **Windy**, **The Only Rose** and all of my loyal reviewers for kicking my ass and reminding me with words of appreciation that I should finally upload a new chapter.

In my replies to reviews (Yes, I reply to each and every review I get) I've been laughing evilly a lot… Don't know why. I just feel… evil today. Too much Amnesia?

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter VII<span>  
><span>– Dog Tears –<span>

When Sasuke entered the coffee shop, a bell chimed as he pushed open the door, announcing his arrival. Five heads shot up to look into his direction as he approached, until finally arriving at the table and sitting down.

"Not a second too late," Shikamaru muttered lazily, gazing out of the window.

At the table not only Shikamaru and Sasuke were seated now, but also Sakura, Kiba, Ino, Chouji and Neji. The rest were occupied with their family, like Hinata, while the rest were doing something in school, club meetings and activities for example. Otherwise, they definitely would have come.

The six teens sat in silence for a while, only Ino sipping at a coffee while Chouji was hastily chugging down his barbecue. Sasuke watched the chubby teen with mild disgust, causing Shikamaru to speak up.

"He always starts eating like that when he looses his temper."

The raven only "Hn"ed in response, staring down at the polished table top.

No one said anything for a long time. With time passing, Ino had finished her mug and Chouji didn't have anything to chug on anymore, leaving him to shift around nervously.

"Do you guys remember how we first met Naruto?" Kiba suddenly murmured, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "He came into class, took a sponge and jammed it into the sliding door of our classroom. Iruka came in and actually fell for that trick. I'll always remember how I started laughing when I saw his face after the sponge landed right on his head. I think I even fell out of my seat. Then Naruto introduced himself, yelling around his own name. And you, Sakura, whacked him over the head, apologizing for him."

Small smiles now formed on almost everyone's faces, Sasuke being the only exception. Most could see something like nostalgia in his eyes though.

Sakura's gaze was still trained on the table when she spoke. "That was the day we transferred to Konoha Middle School."

Chouji abruptly halted his nervous shifting. "Come to think of it, you never told us why you transferred from your old school."

This prompted the pink-haired girl to look up and stare at the chubby teen. "Well… I guess I can tell you about it now." She slowly took a deep breath, calming herself when she released it. "As you all know, Naruto is being bullied by many people. That was also the case throughout elementary and middle school. It wasn't as bad in elementary school, but people became more cruel in middle school. Naruto and I never knew why everyone, even the teachers and parents, seemed to hate him so much." At this she shook her head, still unable to comprehend it. "Everyone kept picking on him, insulting him and making him feel bad whenever they got the chance. Then… when he was thirteen and I turned fourteen… it was around that time when someone almost killed him."

A fist collided with the table top, causing Ino's empty mug and Chouji's plate to clatter. "Who?" Kiba snarled venomously.

"Just some kids," Sakura continued nervously. "They told Naruto they would become his friends if he passed a test of courage. There was this old factory and in our school there were rumors about that place going around, stories of ghosts and monsters. Since I was Naruto's only friend, a girl, others teased him even more and so he agreed and went inside. Then those boys locked him in some room and ran away, leaving him there the entire night." The girl began to rub her upper arm, a nervous habit she had developed over the past years. "The next morning, I was wondering where Naruto was, because we usually always walked to school together and met up at my place. I started to worry, so I headed to his house. On my way there, I heard those boys laughing and prancing around, joking about how they had locked him in that factory the entire night. My mom had told me about a newspaper article that said something about the demolition of that exact factory, so I ran back home to tell her everything. Then I ran to the factory as fast as I could, hoping nothing had happened to Naruto. When I got there, bulldozers were already preparing to take down the whole thing." At this Sakura wiped away a stray tear beginning to form in her eyes. "I was lucky that my mom had called the police. They were able to convince the people in the bulldozers that there was still someone inside. Policemen then went inside and actually found Naruto. He was… He had hypothermia and was in shock. He stayed in hospital for a whole week. Our principal had a long talk with the boys responsible, but kept the whole fiasco a secret from the rest of the class and all the other teachers. Only the parents of the boys were informed. Naruto had to transfer to get away from those bullies, but I didn't want to let him go by himself, so I went with him. I wanted to protect him. Besides, who would stay in a class with people that almost killed your best friend?"

When Sakura ended her story, a low growl sounded. Ino placed a soothing hand on Kiba's shoulders, the shaggy-haired teen shaking in rage. "You've tried to talk to him lately, right, Sakura?" the blond girl murmured.

The pink-haired girl nodded weakly. "Yeah. But he seemed so… off. The last two times I spoke to him, he was dead-serious at some point, bitter and somehow his eyes… they looked dead. He told me that he's been… thinking about… suicide. For how long I don't know."

Nervous tapping now chimed, drawing attention to Shikamaru, who was restlessly rapping his fingers against the table. His other hand, propped up on the table, was covering his face, hiding his expression.

"Sh-Shikamaru?" Chouji inquired, anxious himself. "What's wrong?"

Sighing shakily, the brunet removed his hand from his face, revealing his troubled features scrunched up in a frown. "I never would've thought that it was _this_ bad." Suddenly feeling angered at his own obliviousness, the pony-tailed teen raked a hand over his head in exasperation. "Sasuke, you've talked to Naruto too. Tell us what happened."

The raven was the only one among the group who's expression hadn't changed at all throughout the words spoken. Only Shikamaru and Neji were able to see through his mask. Sasuke averted his eyes to stare at a nearby empty table, remembering Naruto having sat there a few days ago. "He told me that he didn't remember me, acted like a bastard and straight-out admitted to being cynical, cold-hearted and bitter. He doesn't believe in friendship anymore, writing it off as an illusion humanity has created for comfort and against loneliness. That would explain why not even Sakura is able to get through to him."

Depressed faces fell even more at this new piece of information, grief beginning to nag at the teens' minds.

"There's something you're not telling us," Neji contemplated, gazing straight at the raven-haired teen.

At this, Sasuke clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth. "At some point, he started to cry. I saw how he was covered in countless bruises and cuts. There was even something like an _M_ carved into the skin of his stomach."

Kiba's forehead now dropped to the table, Ino's empty mug tumbling over with loud clattering. The brunet's hands balled into fists, the teen unable to control his temper. "What's his father's name?"

No one dared to raise their voice, most fearing to be snarled at the moment they answered.

"Sakura!" Kiba yelled, head shooting up. "You know his father's name, don't you?"

Shrinking back into her seat slightly at the enraged glare, the girl nodded. "His dad's name is Mizuki. Mizuki."

"K-Kiba calm down." Ino's attempts at calming the shaggy-haired teen were growing futile as Kiba's face began to gain an angry red color.

Unable to decide where to put his hands, Kiba began to shift around, until he buried his face in both his hands. "Dads are stupid. Who needs them anyway?" A small sniffle could be heard coming from the teen's direction.

"Are you crying, Kiba?" Ino questioned warily and with growing worry.

The brunet's fist slammed down onto the table, Kiba raising his head to glare at the blond. "Of course not!" he yelled, tiny tears having collected at the brim of his eyes. He blushed as he noticed them and quickly wiped those drops away.

_Right… _Sasuke contemplated, watching Kiba. _I remember someone saying that his mom scared his dad away. What kind of woman is she?_

"Now, Sasuke…" Ino began, now a bit more composed than earlier. "What do you think about all this? Besides Sakura, you're the one with the strongest bond with Naruto. Doesn't that make you feel… sad or… maybe upset at all?" Even after many years of having known the raven, Ino still couldn't quite read Sasuke, despite being a psychologist's daughter _and _having crushed on the raven for a long time in middle school. That crush had slightly faded though within the three year absence of the Uchiha.

In response, Sasuke simply fixed the blonde with his indifferent gaze. She was expecting some answer, but he ignored her and looked away.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Ino quickly sat up straight in her seat, leaning forward. "I'm talking to you!"

Only slightly did Sasuke roll his eyes, but the girl still caught it.

"Now don't give me that look! I know you're upset. We all are!"

Sasuke never even spared the yelling girl that was causing other customers to glare at the group of teens with distaste a single glance. "Hn."

"I knew it!" Ino continued loudly. "You're just as upset as we are, maybe even more than us!"

The others just shot the two confused glances, looking at each other every now and then.

"Are they having a conversation?" Chouji inquired, scratching his head.

"Not sure," Shikamaru replied, pulling Ino back into her seat by her shirt. "But we still need to sort things out here."

Neji still had his arms crossed over his chest. "Which would be?"

"A plan to determine wether or not Uzumaki Naruto still exists."

* * *

><p>"Will the scars matter much?" Mizuki was a tiny bit fidgety, eager to give a good impression.<p>

The man beside him, a raven-haired and arrogant-looking person, only sent the other a quick glance. "That depends on what kind of type he is," he replied calmly. "If his look is more innocent, scars would disrupt that image of purity and destroy the over-all type. As long as it fits his look and personality, it could even benefit him."

"Sounds good."

Both men were now reaching the top of the stairs, Mizuki leading the way from there on until they reached a certain door. The white-haired man pushed it open to let his guest in first.

"This is him?" the dark-haired man questioned, seeing the blond teen sitting on a bed. At the confirmative nod from Mizuki, the man crouched down in front of Naruto to get a better look at his face. He reached out with one hand, putting it beneath the teen's chin to push his head up. Cerulean blue eyes stared back at the man, no fear in them, not even doubt or suspicion. There was nothing at all. "Quite the gloomy type, I see. Well, I guess this works well with the scars. My customers do seem to sometimes suddenly change tastes or prefer the broken type in general. Finding real jewels among those depressed and suicidal kids is hard though. Some think their life is miserable just because their first love broke up with them or because they are being bullied, but this guy… He's truly broken." There was something like curious excitement in the raven-haired man's face now, seeing those dull blue eyes. "How does he behave?"

Mizuki seemed a little unsettled at first, but quickly regained his posture again. "He's quite submissive. At first he struggles though, tends to thrash around a bit. But once you get a good hold on him, he stops resisting quickly."

"Good, good," the stranger nodded. "And for how long can he hold out?"

A thoughtful look appeared on the other male's face. "I'd say about… twelve to fifteen minutes. He's been roughened up the past years after all."

"Gag reflex?"

Proudly, Mizuki shook his head. "Almost none at all."

"You really have raised him well, Mizuki-kun."

The white-haired man merely shrugged at this, the proud gleam never leaving his eyes though. "I've had many years of time after all, Mada– I mean, Tobi-sama."

Madara nodded, jerking his thumb towards Naruto. "What about STDs?" He quickly caught the look of uncertainty on the younger man's face. "Test him. I won't take him before that's done."

Mizuki growled, crossing his arms. "Fine. If that's all." He then stood there in the door frame, watching as Madara kept scrutinizing Naruto.

"Stand up and take your shirt off," Madara suddenly demanded with a straight glare at Naruto.

At first, the blond hesitated, but one look at Mizuki's darkening face was enough motivation he needed. Cautious not to disturb his wounds, he got up and pulled off his shirt, discarding it onto the bed behind him. His hips were suddenly grabbed and turned slightly, Madara on level with his navel, which in turn unsettled Naruto.

"There are way too many bruises on him," the raven-haired man eyeing Naruto's hips stated. "And this huge scar on his stomach… You really went over-board there, Mizuki-kun."

And indignant snort could be heard coming from the white-haired man. "What's so bad about bruises?"

Madara straightened up again and handed Naruto his shirt for him to put on again. "To most people, especially my customers, bruises are like markings of property. Seeing this boy's bruises, it's obvious that he already belongs to someone: you. No one would want a boy that already belongs to someone. Let those bruises and cuts heal up, have him tested for STDs, then we'll talk again." The raven-haired man's gaze rested on Naruto for a single silent moment, before flicking back to Mizuki. "I need to test something now." The raven-haired man waved a hand in a shooing manner. "Leave."

Nodding, Mizuki complied silently, leaving the room swiftly and quietly closing the door behind him.

Once the wooden door was shut, Madara turned back to Naruto and gave him another once-over. "You sure are an interesting one."

The blond couldn't even react when he was suddenly pulled forward and away from the bed, only to sit back down again, now feeling warmth press into his back. All of a sudden, he was sitting in Madara's lap. His brain was still comprehending that fact, when a hand made quick work of his jeans' zipper and soon after wrapped around his limp member. With only a few jerks, Naruto's cock stood at full attention, all thoughts of struggling thrown overboard. The gloved hand kept pumping up and down his length for a while, drawled moans and heavy pants rippling from the teen's throat after mere moments. It didn't take long for the coil of pleasure in Naruto's abdomen to explode into pure bliss and shoot into Madara's hand.

Madara checked his watch, realizing that it had taken four full minutes for the blond boy to come. It didn't seem long, but for someone at Madara's mercy it was quite outstanding.

"That's all then," the dark-haired man mumbled, not so carefully pulling the still panting boy from his lap to get up. Before he left the room, he cleaned his glove with a tissue and dusted off non-existent dust from his pants, then finally headed for the exit. "A _very_ interesting boy, indeed," he mumbled to himself as he descended down the stairs.

Left behind was Naruto, feeling confused, angry, pleasured and extremely nervous. It finally hit him that his own father was willing to sell him for money, not even seeming to feel bad about it.

A sudden urge to talk to someone caused the blond to jump up, hissing a little at the pain of his old wounds, and grab his cellphone from the floor. He quickly dialed a number, falling back onto his bed with a sigh. Staring up at the grayish ceiling, Naruto listened to the constant beeping on the other line, until the sound of someone picking up finally sounded.

_Why the hell are you calling him of all people?_

"Kyuubi?" Naruto mumbled timidly, hoping he hadn't dialed the wrong number again. The chances for something like that happening were not too big after all. Right?

_"No."_

Wrong.

_"Again."_

Blue eyes widened a little, gaining a look of surprise. "You're the guy from last time?"

_"If you're the guy that was sobbing into the phone, then yeah. Apparently."_

This let a small blush bloom on the blond's face. "Sorry to bother you. I was trying to call someone completely differe–"

_"What happened now?"_

For a while, Naruto was silent. Was this guy really willing to listen to his problems, the problems of a complete stranger? "Um… well… You know…"

_"Tell me before I get bored and hang up."_

_What a nice person to have a conversation with. _A sigh of defeat left the blond. "Fine, I'll tell you." Wanting to annoy the person on the other line, Naruto used this moment for a dramatic pause. Probably too long, but that was what he was aiming for. "My dad's planning to sell me off to other people and make me a prostitute." The sudden dead-silence on the other end didn't surprise Naruto. In fact, he was expecting the stranger to hang up about now, thinking something along the lines of _Why didn't I hang up right away? This guy's totally fucked up!._

_"What a bastard,"_ the stranger suddenly broke the silence._ "What kind of dad would sell off his own child? And why are you letting him do something like that? Aren't there social workers where you live?"_

Only slightly, Naruto's grip on the phone tightened. "Where I live, no one would willingly help me. I got quite the reputation, to be honest. Goes way back to something I don't even remember." A small smile curled his lips when he heard the huff on the other line.

_"That doesn't justify being treated like that. You don't sound like someone overly unpleasant."_

_I probably should take that as a compliment._

_"There's aught to be someone willing to help you."_

Naruto actually pondered this for a while. The only ones he could come up with that would maybe help him were either lunatics – in his eyes anyway – or away in a different city. "It's not that easy. It never is." The blond could actually imagine the scowl on his interlocutor's face.

* * *

><p>I has made a decision! I will be uploading on Fridays every two or three weeks from now on! From now on, Fridays will be joyous days! I used to do the same thing with my biggest story so far, <strong>The Art of Breaking<strong>, and I thought it would help me kick my own ass for a change.

I'm also working on the One Shots I promised for **AlchemyGaara** and **BeeBee Forthwright **(Bee, your name is confusing by the way. I have no idea how to pronounce it). One is for Naruto and the other for Fullmetal Alchemist. To be honest, I'm faster with the Naruto OS cause that one already has a vague outline, while the FMA one is still just an idea in my head. But I'll sit down soon and give both of them a firm plot.

Next chapter: Never Changing

_– _Murasaki B


	8. Never Changing

EDIT: FFN is being bitchy and I can't put line breaks into the chapter! It hurts my perfectionist mind! Right now it's the way I upload it (raw, basically) before editing it on FFN. I even considered not uploading this at all, but I promised to, so here it is. Hopefully this stupid issue is gonna be repaired soon.

As promised, here's the next chapter! Now that the con and that thing with the publishers is over and done with, my focus shifted from drawing back to the stuff I usually do. From now on you can expect frequent updates like this on Fridays every two weeks, if I can manage, and otherwise every three weeks.

I'm wondering if I should keep thanking new reviewers _personally_. All I know is that I love it when someone mentions me in their author's note, but I assume most people skip over this kind of thing anyway. But if it makes the few of you reviewers happy, I'll continue doing it. Don't see a use doing it though if no one actually stops to read that part.

And it looks like some of you had the impression that Shikamaru and the others were doing nothing and just sitting around grieving over Naruto. They weren't. If you go back to chapter five or so, Shikamaru says that he and the others tried everything they could for an entire year, then gave up because they just couldn't take Naruto not reacting to them at all. Well, reacting negatively to them if anything. This entire thing already went for three years, in which Naruto started to change in the first year, then suddenly didn't remember his friends anymore in the second, his friends trying to make him remember them, and where Shikamaru and the others gave up in the third. Don't forget that! Naruto's friends _haven't_ been sitting around doing nothing.

I just noticed that it's been only a year and a half since I started writing fanfiction in English… I used to be such a noob at that time, I had to keep looking up at least twenty out of a few hundred words when reading fanfiction. My vocabulary wasn't very big for certain reasons. Talk about improvement.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter X<span>  
><span>– Never Changing –<span>

_He's going to sell me. Like a product. Though I'm nothing like new ware, fresh out of the factory._

_I'm tainted. I'm corrupted. I'm spoiled._

_Like defective goods. Damaged. Broken._

_Walking down this sidewalk, going to school, I can still feel his hands on me. Those prodding fingers feeling up my entire body. Sometimes, they give me the illusion of someone caring, only to crush my hopes… With pain._

_I always feel his hands. His breath on my skin._

_I always hear his voice. Those promising words, followed by insults that hurt like daggers being stabbed into my chest._

_I always see his face. That kind smile hiding his malicious intents, pulling into that damned smirk I hate so much._

_There are times when I think I have his disgusting scent in my nose and the taste of his nasty cum on my tongue._

_I'll never forget._

* * *

><p>The period hadn't started yet, giving the students time to catch up on each other's lives, to hastily study a little for an upcoming test or to sleep. The latter was exactly what Shikamaru was doing. That only lasted until he was aware of a certain pink-haired girl entering the room though.<p>

Sighing out a _How troublesome_, Shikamaru crossed the room – for his desk was at the very back – and went to the front where Sakura was now sitting. Hands shoved into his pockets he waited until she noticed him, seeming to be engrossed in her own thoughts.

"G-Good morning, Shikamaru-kun," she mumbled absent-mindedly after a while.

Ino, sitting beside the girl, shot her female friend a worried look. "What's up?" she questioned Shikamaru casually, turning her attention to the brunet.

"I've talked to Neji," Shikamaru replied casually. "We decided to talk to Naruto and try to get him to go see a therapist. At this point, I don't think any of us would be able to help him in some way. Or find anything out about his condition."

Sighing shakily, Sakura stared down at her hands fumbling in her lap for a while, before looking at the standing teen again. "I'll try to talk to him."

Shikamaru immediately shook his head. "That's not a good idea. Naruto's condition is affecting you too much. In the conversation we're planning to have with him, he could seriously break down, much worse than what we've seen so far. I don't want you to be the one to cause that. I already know you'd be blaming yourself if something… went wrong."

Sakura decided not to ask what exactly he was implying. "Then… who will talk to him?"

"The person next closest to Naruto is Sasuke-kun," the brunet stated, beginning to loosen up a little. "It might not seem like it, but he really cares about Naruto. It probably hurts him just as much as it does us to see Naruto like this, maybe even more. I also think Sasuke-kun could be blaming himself for not having been there to help."

"Are you really sure about this?" Ino demanded, doubt apparent in her green eyes. "I know that Naruto and Sasuke-kun used to be rivals a while ago, but they kept insulting each other and seemed more like they hated each other. Sure, their rivalry somehow makes their relationship special, but how can they be as close as you say they are without them ever having exchanged words other than insults? And don't forget that Uchiha are socially retarded. Do you really think Sasuke-kun could be able to help Naruto in that way?"

The girl received a curt nod as response. "I do. There never was anything like hate between those two. They both always strived to overcome each other and so made each other stronger. Something like that creates a bond unlike any other."

"Oh my god," the blond girl suddenly swooned, clamping a hand over her mouth in mock surprise. "Nara Shikamaru is giving us a profound speech about bonds. I never thought the day would ever come that this guy would get past his famous two-word sentences such as _How troublesome_." Ino burst out into small chuckles when she spotted a blooming blush on the brunet's cheek. Being the daughter of a psychologist, she liked to push people's buttons. She might not have been as perceptive as Shikamaru or Neji, but she still had some knowledge on people's psyche, especially her friends'.

The mood of the three teens immediately darkened when they noticed the person in question walking into the classroom. Naruto.

He looked too pale, he looked too slouchy and he looked _way_ too depressed. It didn't exactly show on his face, but the lack of any kind of cheerfulness, even if it was fake, was enough indication to see how upset he was. Even his bright blue eyes seemed dull.

Shortly after Naruto had sat down, the class' math teacher Yamato entered and set down his bag on the teacher's desk on the desk in the front. He briefly raked his eyes over his students, finding no one to be absent. "Today we'll start a new topic," he announced. "Trigonometric functions."

Collective groans and sighs sounded in the room, students already slumping in their seats in defeat.

Ino, in her front seat, could easily see Yamato's eyebrow beginning to twitch, lips pulled into a strained frown. She sneakily hid her mouth behind her hand to chuckle at the man's expression.

"Come on," he groaned. "Don't act as if I'm trying to teach university-level stuff to you." More groans sounded and Yamato began to wonder if maybe teenager brains these days were simply decreasing in both quantity and quality. At some point, his eyes landed on Naruto who simply seemed off. Not making any comments, not wearing that fake smile of his, not even fidgeting. Was he even still alive, or did he die in his seat with his eyes open? It seemed likely. "Okay, so then–" He closed his mouth the moment he saw a raised hand. Sighing, his shoulders slumped. "Yes, Inuzuka-kun?"

"I've been wondering for a while now: Why does 2⁰ equal 1?" the brunet questioned, confused eyes landing on him. He sent anyone looking at him a glare saying _What? I'm not a male ditz, you know!. _His eyes quickly shifted to Yamato again. "I mean, 2³ is 8, 2² is 4 and 2¹ is 2. So why does 2⁰ equal 1 instead of just 2 or 0?"

Something like hope flickered in the teacher's eyes then. Hope that maybe, just maybe, not all of this students were butt-lazy or simply mentally retarded. "Okay, this is hard to explain." For a while, he rubbed his chin in thought, contemplating how to answer that question. "Well, considering the example you gave, look at the pattern: 2³ is 8, 2² is 4, 2¹ is 2. Following the pattern as we go down an exponent, the answer is divided by two every time, which makes sense because we're multiplying by two in the first place. If we take one more step down, we should be able to get 2⁰ by dividing the answer for 2¹ by 2: We get 1. If we do this with any other number, any number to the power of zero is 1."

Kiba's eyes were focused on a far-away spot somewhere behind Yamato's head. His mouth hung open and his narrowed eyes were simply dumb-looking. Brain-short-circuit-like. Slowly, he tilted his head and one was able to see the thoughts madly running through his mind, gears beginning to click into place. Or bursting _out_ of place, one couldn't quite tell for sure. "I think I get it now." He still seemed mentally absent.

"You don't," Ino cut in smugly, a smirk on her face.

Only a split second later, Kiba was standing from his seat, waving a fist at the blond girl. "I do! Are you insulting my intelligence?"

Yamato flatly glared at the yelling teen. "Inuzuka-kun…"

"I dare you to say that again!" the brunet rambled on.

Yamato's left eyebrow began to twitch. "Inuzuka-kun, you–"

"Stop laughing like that! I'm _not_ stupid!"

"Inuzuka, now just–"

"I'm not damn stupid, you fucking blon–" Kiba almost fell over in shock when there suddenly was a ghostly grimace right in front of him, illuminated in an eery light. "Ack!" Unable to hold in his frightened yelp, the obnoxious teen fell back into his seat, the class' laughters surrounding him as Yamato lowered the flashlight from his face and turned it off, his weird fish stare now gone.

Walking back to the desk, just as silently as he had approached Kiba earlier, Yamato now looked calm again. "Please refrain from using such language in my class, Inuzuka-kun."

Amused chuckles still could be heard coming from the room's occupants. Smiling to himself, Shikamaru glanced to his side, eyeing Naruto. Everyone was either laughing or grinning, only the blonde was sitting in his seat with an unchanging expression of indifference. The room could have lit up in pink flames and he wouldn't have cared. Seeing this, Naruto's passiveness, quickly wiped the smirk from Shikamaru's face. He now was fully determined to get Naruto to talk.

* * *

><p>Everyone started to pack their things. Apparently the bell had already rung. Naruto didn't rush when he packed up his stuff. It wasn't like there was some place he had to get to quickly. Today, it would be his usual routine of going to the roof and having thoughts of suicide. Maybe today was the day he would have the courage to actually jump. Maybe today it would finally end. Oh hey, he already was at the stairs. Having thoughts about thoughts of suicide took a lot of time it seemed.<p>

Going to the fence. Looking at the clouds. It was all the same. It would never change. Nothing would ever change. He would stay here. No… he couldn't. What use would there be? It would never change.

Nothing…

would ever…

change.

Did a cut on his shoulder open? It suddenly felt so warm.

_Ugh… why does dad have to bite me? Seriously. Is it weird for blood to… tighten around my shoulder?_

Looking down, he saw… a hand? A freaking hand? Arm attached to it: Check. Goofy face attached to it: Check. Who was that again?

"Naruto?"

It sounded weird. Was that really his name? Didn't he have a different name?

"We want to talk to you."

_Hmm… No matter what, nothing will ever change. Fine, try it. Nothing will come of it._

The other shook his head, turned away. Walked away, just like everyone else. Someone else now came. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Pools of grief. Doors to a tainted soul, just like his.

"Idiot."

What was he supposed to answer? His mind felt so empty. It was like his thoughts could only go on this one track of thinking and nothing else. He tried to change the course and only came up with blankness. Weird.

"I knew you were stupid beyond belief, but this is ridiculous."

He wasn't saying any more. Was he expecting him to answer something? But what?

The other's eyes narrowed, took on a disgruntled look. Naruto thought he somehow wasn't fine with how he was reacting.

_Hmpf, his pitch_.

Hands suddenly grasped his shoulders, shaking him lightly.

"Don't you realize?"

_Take them off._

"Don't you remember me?"

_I don't want this._

"What happened to make you like this?"

_Why is he doing this?_

_"Because you'll soon be other people's fuck-toy too."_

_I don't want that._

A scream.

_It's piercing the air. It's loud. It's booming in my ears._

_I realize that I'm the one screaming._

* * *

><p>"Sakura, stop! Don't get in between!" Shikamaru was holding back a frantic pink-haired girl trying to help her friend.<p>

Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "But… But… he's…"

It was painful for all of them. For Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino and Kiba – the rest staying somewhere else and waiting for news – it was hard to just stand back and watch. To watch Naruto thrashing around, screaming, desperately trying to get away from Sasuke. The raven was barely able to keep his hold on the blond.

_Damn, I almost forgot how strong he is_. Sasuke struggled to keep his hold on Naruto. He was able to grip the blond's wrists, but couldn't prevent the other from nearly hitting him every two seconds with his flailing. "Get a damn hold of yourself, you idiot!" The moment the raven-haired teen got slapped across the face with an elbow, he had had enough. _This is it_. Anger now lining Sasuke's features, the by now furious teen tightly gripped both of Naruto's wrists and slammed them against the fence beside the blond's head. Now he was staring right at frightened and watery cerulean eyes, tears beginning to spill from them.

"I still don't think Sasuke's the right one." Ino's doubt showed on her face, her slim eyebrows pulled into a frown.

Shikamaru looked as calm as ever, though inwardly he was being wrecked by worry as well. "Just keep watching."

Meanwhile, Naruto was breaking down. He had trouble controlling his breathing. It suddenly shot up to high gear, going so fast that one could think he'd been running a marathon. And he couldn't get it to slow down. Slowly, Naruto slid down the fence, dropping down onto the stone ground, panting madly. Sasuke went down with him into a kneeling position, retreating his arms. As soon as the raven's hands were gone, Naruto wrapped his arms around himself and buried his face in his knees. His breathing still was in a mad frenzy.

_Hyperventilating, huh? _Sasuke was panting a bit too from the effort of trying to hold a thrashing person down. Exhausted, he fell down onto the floor in front of Naruto, then turned his head to send a look at Shikamaru. The raven watched as the brunet nodded, whispered something to the others and then left with everyone. This of course made Sasuke more calm. Knowing that someone was watching him while he was cornering Naruto had been weird. Quietly, Sasuke approached the blond again. Careful not to disturb Naruto, he grabbed one of the arms wrapped around the other's stomach. He didn't let his astonishment show through as a head suddenly shot up, tear-filled eyes the color of the sky staring at him in shock. It was unsettling to see Naruto still panting, struggling with his own breath. "You need to calm down," Sasuke demanded in a low, but soothing voice. "Breathe evenly."

This seemed to do the trick, but only after many straining moments of watching the wheezing teen.

"What are you doing?"

The hoarse voice startled Sasuke out of his stupor, making him sit straight after having slumped together just slightly. "I'm trying to confirm something."

Blue eyes narrowed with suspicion, Naruto harshly pulling away his wrist from the raven's hold. "What exactly?"

"That, I can't tell you," the raven-haired teen replied, ignoring the foul look he was receiving. "Now think: What do you remember from your last year in middle school?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Sasuke didn't answer. Not because he couldn't answer, but because the blunt truth would drive Naruto away in the same way it had happened with Shikamaru and the others. And the blond kept glaring at him. It wasn't the glare Sasuke knew from the time they had been rivals. Not a glare filled with the desire to become stronger and overcome any obstacle, including the raven. Not the glare that held not only defiance, but also fondness and happiness over having friends. Only hate was there. Only distrust. Only _fear_.

Tears kept falling from the blond's eyes, but Naruto didn't care anymore. Sasuke had seen him cry only a while ago already. It wouldn't change anything if he stopped now. _Nothing will change. Wether I tell him or not. _"Middle school?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow, thoughts running through his mind. He went through his memory. Filed through everything he could find. And came up… with nothing. "I don't… remember much."

Something flashed in Sasuke's eyes.

"I know that Sakura was there with me." _Why am I telling him?_ "And… that I transferred from another school." _It won't change anything, so why?_

_"Because you want to trust someone."_

_But why him?_

_"He's the one you want to be acknowledged by."_

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke up, seeing how the blond was spacing out, "can you remember any of the teachers?"

Again, Naruto sifted through his memory, trying to get a hold of anything required for an answer. But there was nothing. He was greeted with blankness. _Shouldn't I be able to remember? It's as if someone wiped all the notes from a blackboard. _Gulping, breath painfully catching in his throat, Naruto shook his head no. _Why don't I remember?_

Sasuke thought that he should be comforting Naruto in some way, pat him or something. But being an Uchiha, he held back. "What about your first year in high school?"

Looking through memories. Searching. Nothing. Blank. "I don't remember anything besides… that we were talking about photosynthesis in biology and rain forests in geology, stuff like that, but… but… nothing else. That's hella weird! I should remember, shouldn't I?" Growing frantic, Naruto began to ruffle his hair violently. "Why don't I remember?" It was as if Sasuke wasn't there anymore.

_He didn't even realize his memory loss?_ Sasuke watched the other, contemplating what to do next. The next question could give him more answers, but also break Naruto completely in the process. He needed to somehow find out if this was really Naruto or a different personality. But how? Had researching Dissociative Identity Disorder helped at all? Sighing in upcoming annoyance, Sasuke refrained from exasperatedly running a hand over his face like he wanted to. "Do you sometimes do things you think you wouldn't ever do, but still feel compelled to do?"

Slowly, Naruto snapped out of it, confusion lining his features. "What? No. Why should I do something I usually don't do?"

"Forget it," Sasuke waved it off, interrupting the blond's rambling. Why was he doing this again? Oh, right. Since Sakura had started bawling as he had flat out rejected the idea of him confronting the blond. "Do you ever feel as if the world isn't real? Foggy? Far away?"

Puzzled, the blond teen shook his head. "No! Wh-Why are you asking all this?"

Sasuke ignored his question, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. "You need to see a therapist."

"What?" Naruto yelled in response. "Are you saying I'm crazy, or what?"

"No, but you obviously have issues. Memory loss. So go see a therapist."

"I won't!"

"Not even if it'll get Nara and the others off your back?"

This gave Naruto reason to at least contemplate the _offer_. He crossed his arms, averting his eyes. Only seconds later, his face darkened. "I can't, even if I wanted to."

"Why not?"

_Tell him. _"It's my dad. If I said I wanted to see a therapist, he'd say _No_ right away and if I tried to go in secret and he found out…" Biting his lower lip to prevent himself from saying more, Naruto tightly clenched his fists.

"I see." Sasuke watched the other for a while, noticing how Naruto began to tremble slightly. "How about we do it so he won't ever find out?"

The moment Naruto glanced at those onyx eyes, he knew that whatever Sasuke was planning would work. No matter what.

_Maybe this is the day something will change._

Naruto. His blonde hair. Naruto. His desperate cerulean eyes. Naruto. The wounds inflicted on his body and mind.

_He's just not the same anymore._

* * *

><p>Since I've been blabbering about how much I draw and about meeting people from a publishing company, some of you got curious about what I do when I don't write. Some have been frequently commenting on my work, so here's some more to look at, since I just hate my old stuff. The following are some links. Just remove the spaces.<p>

Butt-load of work #1: _benze-chan. deviantart art/Vengeance-Is-In-My-Heart-297216618_

Butt-load of work #2: _benze-chan. deviantart art/David-with-the-Head-of-Goliath-312256070_

Some comments would be awesome!

Next chapter: Invisible Blood

– Murasaki B


	9. Invisible Blood

Hey there! As promised, here's the next chapter.

It looks like some of you misunderstood what I said last chapter. To clear things up: I grew up bilingually, meaning I grew up speaking German with my mother and English with my father. For certain reasons, I stopped talking English at home when I was six and my point in the author's note of the last chapter was that I was stuck on the vocabulary I had from back then and barely ever learned new words. Two years ago I still had to look up words like _incredulous_ cause I just didn't know them. Even now I still look up synonyms cause I don't want to keep repeating the same word over and over. I also had to teach myself a lot of grammar cause the things I need here aren't taught in school at all.

And it looks like no one cares if I address my reviewers personally in my author's notes or not, so I'll just quit it and that way save some space.

I usually dislike using anime-only characters in my stories cause I always feel like those aren't actually Naruto characters, but Chiriku is kinda different in my opinion. To me he seems like the type of character who actually exists in the manga but is only never mentioned. After all, Asuma really did belong to the Twelve Guardian Shinobi that actually exist in the manga.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter IX<span>  
><span>– Invisible Blood –<span>

"The Greeks defined love in four categories." Hands folded in front of him, a bald man walked along the rows of desks, every now and then casting a glance at his students. "_Agape_ is the first one. It's the unconditional love, for example the love God has for all humans. He accepts us with all our flaws. The second category… Does anyone know it?" Now standing at his desk again, the teacher swept his eyes over the room, only a few hands rising, all of them belonging to girls. "Yes, Haruno-san?"

"The second category is _Philia_. It's the dispassionate virtuous love, guided by our likes or our needs and desires, wether healthy or unhealthy."

Chiriku smiled at the pink-haired girl with a satisfied look. "Correct. Now, does anyone know the third category? Hyuuga-san?"

The black-haired girl blushed a little, lowering her hand to rest it against her lips. "The third category… is called um… _Storge_. It's the word for family love and the physical show of affection, the need for uh… physical touch. Like between… good friends." She lowered her gaze as soon as Chiriku smiled at her as well.

"Good," the teacher drawled. "What about the fourth category? Ah, Yamanaka-san!"

A mischievous smirk appeared on the blond girl's face. "The fourth category is called _Eros_. It's the physical, _sexual_ desire, the need for intercourse. It's the root word of _erotic_ and _eroticism_."

Chiriku's smile this time twitched a little and seemed strained, the man withholding a sharp glare at seeing the girl's straight-out perverted expression and hearing the chuckles filling the room. "Good, Yamanaka-san. Now I want all of you to define love for yourself. What does love _mean_ to you?"

Some of the girls blushed, while a few boys started to chuckle among each other, whispering nonsense.

The teacher wouldn't have any of that. "Inuzuka-kun," he demanded. "What does love mean for you?"

Kiba had been the one whispering the most and chuckling the loudest. Of course, he now was the one blushing the most too. "Uh… Well… I think l-love is when… when you feel really attracted to someone and… um… what a mother feels for her child for example."

Chiriku's face didn't change, a smile still on his face, but his students could see the sadistic amusement the man felt at Kiba's demise. "Very well. Now… Naruto-kun! How would you define love?"

All eyes turned to the indifferent blond sitting at the very back. Both his arms were resting on his desk, his chin lazily propped up on one hand.

"Love?" he snorted, something like mild disgust dripping from his words. "Love is just some sensation created in the brain by hormones, nothing else. Mothers love their kids cause they were made to do that. Humans live to have babies and pass on their genes or whatever, so of course sexual attraction works in the same way, with hormones."

The ever-present smile vanished from the philosophy teacher's face. "Then you are defining love as something required for humans to do, only caused by mere _hormones_?"

"Yeah."

Naruto said this with such an indifference that most of his classmates sent him even weirder looks than usual. It was so unlike the blond to not even act decent. Most had been aware of him being moody and gloom at times, but sometimes he had worn a smile, even though it had been horribly fake. But now…

Chiriku was glaring with venom at Naruto by now. "Think what you like, but love isn't something you can explain with something as mundane as hormones. Love isn't something that is defined logically."

Naruto simply shrugged, not at all affected by the glare he was being sent.

The bell ringing wiped away the glare from Chiriku's face and the man silently walked out of the room after muttering a "Goodbye".

Grabbing his bag, the blond teen walked out of the classroom without caring about his philosophy teacher now holding a grudge against him. He headed for his next class, P.E., hoping Gai wouldn't have them do something too tedious. Naruto was still in the process of healing up and skipping wasn't a possibility. Before Gai could get suspicious, he simply _had_ to attend P.E. every now and then, no matter how painful it would be. When he arrived in the locker rooms, not many people were there. He rushed to get his P.E. uniform out of his locker before more students would file in. Feeling self-conscious about his many bruises and wounds, Naruto pulled off his shirt and quickly shoved himself into his P.E. shirt.

"Naruto?"

_Shit, shit, shit! _When the blond turned around, worried dark eyes were gazing at him. "What, Inuzuka?"

A frown formed on Kiba's face, the teen, after so much time, still not used to the impersonal way Naruto was addressing him. "What… Where are those bruises and cuts from? You didn't fall or get hit during soccer training."

_Right… I have soccer with him. Damn, I should've pretended to fall really hard last week. _"I fell down the stairs a while ago." _Lame!_

It was obvious that Kiba didn't believe any of what Naruto was saying. "I know you're lying, so quit giving me bullshit and tell me the truth."

"Whatever you're trying to do, it won't work. I already agreed to go see a therapist, so quit bugging me."

Sasuke's plan involved Naruto pretending to go to soccer training and instead going to see a therapist close to the school that also sometimes visited classes. The only problem was convincing their trainer, which was Kiba's job. None of them had to know though that the only reason Naruto went to soccer training was to be away from his father for a while longer.

The brunet clenched his jaw, the sound of his teeth crashing together chiming loudly. "Fine, do what you like. Anyway, I've talked to Asuma-sensei and he's okay with you leaving. I didn't tell him why you're leaving or the reason you didn't go ask him yourself."

Naruto merely hummed in response, while taking off his jeans and quickly getting into his red P.E. shorts. "Are you watching me undress or what?" With a pointed glare towards the brunet, Naruto was able to finally get the other to move away. Seeing Kiba's sad look and the hurt lining his features the blond almost felt bad for being so mean to him. _Almost_. Instead of feeling guilty about his own behavior, Naruto simply scoffed and after adjusting his P.E. uniform and tying his sneakers, stepped out of the changing rooms and into the gym.

Other students had already filled it, a few boys and girls now having wandered to their respective sides. It was one of those times where older students also played with them, since the gym was being rebuilt in some places and the P.E. lessons had been cut short, meaning different classes sometimes had to be put together for one lesson. Naruto glanced around and sighed when he noticed how they apparently would be playing basketball and volleyball again, meaning he'd have to jump _and_ run.

_Awesome. Just fucking awesome._

Once everyone had assembled in the gym, fully dressed and on their sides, Gai bounded into the hall, green leotard-glory and all.

"Hello, my blooming students!" The man fist-pumped several times, his loud voice reverberating throughout the entire gym and echoing from the walls. "I want to see you all give your best today! Let the power of youth explode!"

Collective groans and sighs sounded, everyone unenthusiastically picking up balls and beginning to play. Gai always left them to themselves, simply trying to encourage them by yelling about youth and the power of youth and blooming youth. And youth.

The teams on both the boy's and the girl's side were picked quickly and Naruto found himself in one team with Kiba, Shino and Chouji, while pretty much all the other guys that had bothered him the last year were on the other team.

A whistle sounded, the orange ball flew into the air and three or four people reached after it. Kiba was the first to get his hands on it and so he quickly shot out of reach of the others, passing the ball to Shino. The usually silent and unresponsive teen was able to only make a few steps, before he had to throw the ball to some brunet Naruto didn't know the name of. That brunet was stupid enough though to let someone take the ball away from him the next second, but it got back into the possession of Naruto's team soon enough. It didn't take long and Naruto's team had already scored. The next time the ball flew up, Sasuke was the one to get a hold of it. He swiftly moved past his opponents, ignoring anyone that wanted him to pass on the ball. Within only a few seconds, he had made a point for his team.

The entire time Naruto kept back, trying to not seem too obvious. He only ran along a few times, pretending to be chasing after the ball, but he wasn't insane enough to try and actually _take_ that orange hell-born thing out of the enemy's hands. But all his attempts at not getting involved went futile when that stupid brunet from earlier passed the ball to Naruto. Perplexed, the blond couldn't decide what to do right away. He stared at the ball for a while, but decided to throw it to the next-best person, which was Kiba.

Suddenly, someone appeared out of nowhere and roughly shoved into Naruto's side, throwing the teen to the ground and also slapping the ball out of his hands.

Naruto gasped in pain, pulling his knees a bit closer to himself and curling together a little in pain. Hearing hushed whispers surrounding him, the blond forced himself up, careful not to reveal the look on his face by letting his bangs hide his expression. No one was supposed to see just how much that shove had hurt him. Nearly unbearable pain being all Naruto could feel, he was standing shakily a while after.

Meanwhile, the others had already started to play again, only Kiba and a few of the others sending him their usual worried glances.

They were ignored.

The game continued normally, Naruto's team having the ball in their possession the most and making points. Once Sasuke got his hands on the ball though, he would get to the basket without anyone having time to react and so score in the blink of an eye. Pretty frustrating. All the while, Naruto kept a slow pace, barely able to keep up. His team noticed and avoided to pass him the ball, not wanting a repetition of what had happened earlier and risk losing the ball.

From there on, things went spiraling downwards dramatically.

It was already too late when Naruto noticed the mischievous smirk on one of the enemy players' faces. It was a teen with bright blond and _long_ hair tied up in a ponytail, now running straight towards the other blond, dribbling the ball. Naruto couldn't even so much as react, before that other teen slammed right into him and landed on top of him, violently slamming him into the ground. He heard chuckles as the other quickly rose.

"Oops, my bad," the taller blond muttered in a way that any idiot would have heard the sarcasm dripping from his words.

This time, Naruto was only able to sit up and clutch his side. He pulled his shaking legs closer to his chest, wheezing breaths coming out in heavy pants.

People were already approaching him, but he couldn't make out their faces, for his sight was beginning to blur more and more. The voices calling out to him only reached him deafened. Hands were pulling at his arm that was clutching his side, but he wouldn't let it budge. He couldn't. No one was supposed to see.

The blood.

Oozing from the re-opened gash in his side.

No one at all… was supposed to notice the tiny drops sliding to the floor and forming a small pool of blood.

* * *

><p><em>Hushed voices. The shuffling of feet. Sobs ripping through the air.<em>

_Who the hell decided that inventing sound was a good idea? It's annoying. I wanna sleep here and now I'm not allowed to._

_And then there are hands. Pulling up my shirt. Really… really cold hands. Pulling up my shirt. About to reveal that ugly gash on my side._

* * *

><p>Something suddenly grabbed Tsunade's hand, preventing her from lifting Naruto's shirt to examine his injury. Looking down, she found the blond's hand tightly wrapped around her wrist, pushing it away.<p>

"Get the hell away from me!" Naruto suddenly yelled, sitting up and after wincing in pain, harshly pushing the woman away.

Brown eyes widened, Tsunade was beyond shocked.

Shizune quickly urged the woman to step back and away from the fuming teen, yet her calming words landed on deaf ears.

A sudden rage rampaged through the blond head nurse's veins, a scowl quickly occupying her face. "You ungrateful brat! Do you even consider how worried we are about you?"

"Fuck you!"

Those two words were like the hardest slap anyone could ever give Tsunade and even worse. Clenching her fists hanging at her sides, she marched out of the room without a word, leaving behind a timid-looking Shizune.

"I-I'm so sorry," the black-haired woman mumbled, her attention on the other people in the room. She then hastily ran after her boss.

Even though the bed Naruto was sitting on was surrounded by a curtain, he could still make out most of the faces. There were Sakura, Kiba, Ino, Shikamaru and, for some reason Naruto didn't get, Sasuke.

Sakura then walked closer until she was standing beside Naruto's bed. "Someone needs to look at your stomach. You're bleeding!"

Only now Naruto felt the blood still running down his side and onto the sheets beneath him. Upon looking down, he spotted the large patch of blood-soaked material on his P.E. shirt. Startled, he immediately clasped a hand over it, even though everyone in the room had already seen it long ago. Naruto lowered his head and stared blankly at his lap, refusing to reply to the girl.

"Naruto!" No matter what Sakura did, Naruto never raised his head, never spoke up and never opened up to her. Hastily, she wiped away the tears beginning to form in her eyes, absolutely not allowing herself to cry. "You're such an idiot!" She was the next to march out of the room, hurt swinging even in her stiff movements.

The blond teen still didn't raise his head as he spoke up again. "Who's next?"

Shikamaru was about to step forward, but a hand signaled him to stay back. It belonged to Sasuke.

Silently, Sasuke walked over to Naruto's side. Arms crossed, indifferent glare in place, he stared down at the other for a while. For three minutes to be exact. At some point, he seemed to get bored of the other blankly staring back at him. He leaned down, arms still crossed, his face only inches away from Naruto's. "For once I agree with Sakura. You really are an idiot." His comment was only responded to with a deepening scowl. "Taking the easy way out? That's about the one thing any foolish coward would do. The Naruto I used to know wasn't a cowardly idiot like you. Will you take some advice or continue your life as a damn coward?"

Naruto visibly clenched his teeth, grinding them together angrily. Defiantly, he turned his head away from Sasuke, glaring at the curtain around his bed. A hand suddenly grabbed his jaw, turning it to the raven again.

One hand free, Sasuke placed his right index finger on Naruto's forehead. "You can't save yourself anymore. Let others help you, you moron." Those words said, Sasuke flicked the blond's forehead. He kept his eyes trained on the other teen as he leaned back up again, having to hold back a victorious smirk as he saw the look in Naruto's eyes. It seemed to not have changed at all, but Sasuke was able to see the difference. The raven-haired teen's face was ever unchanging when he averted his attention to the other occupants of the room. He had made sure not to talk too loudly, so none of them were aware of what exactly he had said to Naruto. "Leave," he demanded, sending pointed glares at Shizune, Kiba, Ino and Shikamaru. He wasn't the slightest surprised seeing how all the others began giving him confused looks. Sasuke left Naruto's side in favor of being out of the blond's hear-shot. "That moron's too stubborn to show any weakness," he whispered as if it was something anyone should know. "He wouldn't show something like that in front of so many people."

The others only nodded, sparing a few glances towards Naruto, before leaving completely, some staying back a little longer and Kiba being the last one to be gone.

Now being the last one left, Sasuke went back to the side of Naruto's bed, taking gauze, bandages and a few things to clean away the blood and grime with him. He laid all of it down next to the blond for Naruto to see and pulled up a stool to sit right beside the other teen. He didn't even so much as look up as he roughly grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled it up to examine the gash, not minding the nervous jolt of the blond's body. He made quick work of cleansing away the blood from the skin, then started to put gauze on it. Afterwards, he dressed everything and wrapped up the injury with a thin bandage.

"Where's this gash from?" the raven-haired teen asked, not taking his eyes off of Naruto's stomach as he adjusted the bandages.

"None of your business," the blond grumbled out in response.

"Where's this gash from?"

A snort was heard coming from Naruto, his piercing glare now on the black-haired teen still fumbling around at the bandages. "Fuck off!"

"Where's this gash from?"

"I swear, if you keep butting into my stuff, I'll punch you so hard that not even your unborn kids will remember your name!" Naruto's face was already reddening in anger.

"Where's this gash from?"

Face contorted into a grimace of pure anger, the blond knocked away the blanket covering his legs. "That's it!" he yelled, jolting up from the bed, his fury over-powering the pain that usually would have been mind-numbing. Talk about easily irritated and stubborn. _Bad _combination.

Ignoring the Uchiha still in the room, Naruto grabbed his clothes resting on a chair and changed out of his P.E. uniform. Sasuke had already seen the wounds, so it didn't matter.

Sasuke only watched uncaringly as the other teen stormed out of the room after dressing. He sighed silently once the sound of booming steps had subsided and got up from the stool he had been sitting on.

_That stupid idiot._

Meanwhile, Naruto was clenching and unclenching his fists in a vexed demeanor. He didn't know what to do with this anger. It was even impossible for him to remember when he had been this angry before. Why was it that this Uchiha-bastard could so easily get him riled up and wanting to smash something in really bad? Raking his fingers through his slightly tousled hair, the blond soon found himself outside school. He didn't care if he still had classes to attend to and he honestly couldn't remember what those would have been anyway. The thing with the memory loss was becoming more prominent in Naruto's mind with things like this happening. Only now he was able to see just how often it happened that he straight-out couldn't remember things from a few years back. It was disturbing to say the least.

_Guess I should go to that guy's place now. It's not like I have anything else to do. But…_

Naruto's anger quickly dissipated once he thought about the place he was supposed to go to. He had a piece of paper with the address of _that_ place written in one of his pants' pockets and since he had shoved his hands into those pockets earlier, he now could feel the shred between his fingers. It suddenly felt as if that tiny piece of paper weighed a thousand tons, pulling him down into unknown depths.

A shiver suddenly ran up Naruto's spine, causing him to almost trip from the intensity. He was able to catch himself in time and nervously glanced around.

No one in sight.

He knew that feeling. That feeling of someone's eyes on him. Again.

The blond's hands began to shake, the teen sensing something murderous, something dreadful. And it was close. Much closer and much more intense than the last times. Fingers trembling, Naruto fumbled his phone out of his bag, hastily punching in a number. At each ring with no one picking up, the blond grew more anxious, his pace increasing and his breath hitching more and more. After four rings, Naruto was already begging for someone to finally answer.

Then the relieving sound of someone picking up finally sounded.

_"Yeah?"_

The one on the other line sounded slightly distressed, though it could have been the phone's earpiece playing tricks on Naruto. "Uh…"

_"Did you dial the wrong number again?"_

"No," Naruto whispered, fearing that whoever was watching– No, _following _him could hear him. "I-I just… need to talk to someone and I couldn't think of anyone else."

_"And you simply assumed I'm not busy, waiting for times when you would feel like talking to someone, preferably me?"_

"Well… _are_ you busy?"

_"No, but I was a while ago. Now, what do you want? I don't have much time."_

Somehow, hearing that familiar stranger's voice calmed Naruto down, allowing him to feel more at ease. "Oh, I just… just…"

Something suddenly snapped right behind the teen, causing him to gasp in shock, turning around frantically. His breathing became faster again, gaze growing panicked. "Shit." Another sound echoed right beside Naruto. The blond jumped to the side and away from the sound, bumping right into a wall and dropping his phone. "What the hell?"

It was silent. Even the wind had come to a sudden stop, not even the stray leaves on the ground moving the slightest.

A sudden pang of adrenaline hit Naruto's body and he stumbled to the ground, picking up his phone, then dashed away. Only when he turned the first corner, the teen dared to lift his phone against his ear again, concentrating part of his attention on something else. He was panting, both from running and from his panic.

_"Oi, idiot! What's going on?"_

"Someone's following me," Naruto forced out between pants. He gulped, quickening his pace again when he suddenly heard the sound of light steps approaching. "Goddammit, this is creepy! Why am I the one being followed by some creep? The blonds are always the ones killed first!" There was no response from the other line and Naruto groaned in frustration at the unresponsive bastard. Now standing on a small street, sparsely occupied by people, the blond quickly decided where to go. It was the only place he could think of where he wouldn't be kicked out immediately. Phone pressed to his ear, waiting for some kind of response, Naruto rushed down the sidewalk. He could still pick up a distant echoing of those steps, forcing him to only run faster.

_Damn, damn, damn, damn!_

Finally, after what seemed like the longest run of Naruto's entire life, the teen threw open a door, bell ringing, and bolted right into the safety of Ayame's Café. He stumbled into an empty chair, letting his head drop onto the table top, phone still connected to his ear.

_"Someone's following you?"_

"Oh, now you feel like talking to me?" Naruto spat irritated, raising his head from the table. "I was scared shitless, you bastard!"

A small "Tch" sounded on the other side. _"You were the one calling me. Don't complain about what and when I talk. What was it you wanted to talk about in the first place?"_

Taking a calming breath to soothe his overreacting mind, Naruto buried his face in one hand propped up on the table. "Yeah… right. Well… I'm a bit stressed cause I'm going to that hellhole today."

_"Hellhole?"_

"You know, that place… where I'm supposed to–"

_"I'm pretty sure that's illegal. No one should be able to force you into something like that. Go to the police."_

"Did you forget? Those that could help me would refuse right away cause of who I am."

_"What is it about you that people hate exactly?"_

"I don't know. I've been hated ever since I can remember. People just love to hate me, I guess."

Through the earpiece, the stranger's curt sigh sounded distorted. _"Just don't go. Why are you willing to do something like that? If I were you, I'd just stay where I am. I'd rather live on the streets than sink that low."_

"I can't do that," Naruto sighed out. "I'd be dead within days. People would target me if they knew there's no one to take care of me."

_"Can't you go to friends or something?"_

"I can't."

Another sigh. A frustrated one. _"How is something like this possible?"_

Even though the other wasn't able to see the blond shrugged, chin now resting on his hand. "Dunno. It's my life. I'm used to people wanting to kill me. It's not like no one ever tried before. To kill me."

The stranger released a slightly dragged out breath. _"Don't do anything stupid."_

And the line went dead.

* * *

><p>Ooooh! Shiny chapter long! Kinda… And? What'cha think? Who hung up first?<p>

I've been thinking about doing weekly updates once I'm done with my exams. The ideas are there, just finding the time right now is hard. I have at least one or two exams a week right now and I spend at least five hours studying for each. That's not counting in weekends, cause those are packed with studying so much I can't even count the hours. So once my exams are over and I've taken the exams I missed when I was sick, which is in the first week of December, I'll be doing weekly updates!

And also check out the finally finished One Shot I wrote for BeeBee Forthwright. It's called **Daggers of a Stormy Night** and will definitely satisfy whatever pervy needs you guys may have. Hard, violence-filled SasuxNaru smut with a side of fluff for everyone, yay!

Next chapter: Don't Touch the White Powder!

–Murasaki B


	10. Don't Touch the White Powder!

Hello there!

Thanks for the encouraging words some of you sent me! Especially the stuff regarding my health was nice to read. But it's really not like I'm constantly feeling bad or anything. I'm just not feeling my best.

**NinetailFoxme9 **basically asked me to not make anyone die.

I can not promise that. I'm just too much of a cruel writer to _not_ let anyone die. If anything, it'll take a while though until I kill someone off. **PayNoAttention **also pointed out that I uploaded chapter 11 on 11/11/11 O.O…

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter X<span>  
><span>– Don't Touch the White Powder! –<span>

_Okay. This house looks pretty normal. Looks can deceive though, huh?_

Just walking up to the door was getting Naruto all worked up. He could feel his heart starting to race and sweat covering his forehead. All he wanted to do right now was to run as far as he could, until his legs went numb and until his lungs couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to escape so badly, but he would be screwed either way. He didn't want to be here. He never agreed to something like this. And once he was standing right at the front door, he couldn't get himself to open the door.

_Luckily_, someone else did that for him.

"It's good to see you, Naruto." Madara stepped aside and beckoned him to come in. "Don't be nervous. It will be awkward in the beginning, but you will get used to it eventually."

_Sure…_ Hands shoved into his pockets, Naruto avoided Madara's look as he stepped inside. There just was something in that guy's eyes he didn't like. As if he was able to see through everything he said, may it be the truth or a lie.

Madara just stalked off, expecting him to follow, which he did. He lead him down two or three corridors and he quickly noticed the many doors. All of them were closed. He was starting to wonder how many other people there were. Then he spotted a door that was actually open and peeked inside. What he found surprised him, since there was a man fumbling around with knives at a large desk. Only when he looked up from whatever he was doing to stare at Naruto, the blond noticed how he had stopped walking to watch him.

"What'cha looking at?" the gray-haired man asked in a gruff voice.

Naruto pulled back a little, holding back his own glare. "Nothing. Was just curious." Before that man could answer anything, he walked back over to Madara who was sending him a look by now.

"That's Hidan," he stated casually and in a hushed voice. "He makes knives and sells them off, along with trying to convert people to Jashinism." Seeing how the teen opened his mouth to ask the question he already knew would be coming, he cut him off. "Don't ask."

Naruto couldn't help but send him a curious look. There was another open door and when he glanced inside that one, he actually saw a familiar face. "S-Sasori-sensei?" There, in a semi-dark room, sat his art teacher working on something that looked like a huge puppet. Madara pulled him away once his teacher saw him, leaning down to murmur something into his ear.

"Yes, that is Akasuna Sasori. Though I wouldn't mess with him when he's working on a doll."

Actually, Naruto wanted to ask him why, but then he saw another opened door. And what was inside? An even weirder guy. Somehow his face reminded Naruto of a dog, even though he didn't have anything in his face that could cause that. He was wearing a surgical mask and one of his eyes held a weird tone of brown that almost looked red, while the other one was just plain black. Weird guy. There were dogs all around him and the only ones Naruto could make out the breed of were the pug and the huge bulldog, but the others were… Let's say they were unidentifiable. What exactly is meant by _unidentifiable_? Naruto couldn't decide if those dogs surpassed the weirdness of that white-haired guy, that's what it means. One of them was wearing an eyepatch and one was actually wearing glasses! And they didn't look as if they were uncomfortable, even though any dog would go _I'm not wearing this shit, mofo!._ Something like that. At least Naruto assumed he would do that if I he were a dog.

"You must be Naruto then?"

The weird man was looking at him now. _Huh? Oh! So he's talking to _me_. Damn you, short attention span. _"Uh… yeah," Naruto answered lamely, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"I'm Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi."

Keeping his eyes on him and trying not to look at the weird dogs, the blond nodded. _But_ there was his curiosity spiking up – oh joy – and he looked at those weird dogs anyway. Was the man smiling? Naruto couldn't really tell, since all he had were his eyes to decide on. _Okay, I think he's smiling_.

"I see you're interested in my dogs," the white-haired man laughed.

_I guess… I should nod. I nod, yeah. Seems to make him happy._

"I'm taking care of other people's dogs and these guys are my favorites. They'd dump their actual owners the moment I call for them."

_And that's something to be proud of? Apparently._

And_ then _that guy, Kakashi, suddenly dragged Naruto into the room. "I'll tell you their names."

_Someone please tell me just why this guy seems so happy in this place._

Only two or three steps later, Naruto was standing in the room and could see a few books, magazines with– No, we won't tell you that. There also were a few dog leashes and other things for dogs. It looked a lot more like a private room. Maybe he actually lived here. At least it seemed big enough for one person to live in without feeling cramped.

"This one is Pakkun." Kakashi was pointing at the pug. It looked… like an old man. Really, there was no other way to describe it. "The big bulldog is Bull, the white one is Urushi, that brown one with the black crest on his head is Shiba, the little one with the droopy eyes is Bisuke, the one with the glasses is Akino, the one with the bandages is Uuhei and this little one here with the headband is Guruko."

_He's even weirder than I thought._ Someone sighed behind Naruto and when he turned around, he saw it was Madara.

"Kakashi here is also our doctor," the man stated calmly as he was. "He'll take care of you whenever you might get injured or sick, but we always try our best to prevent that in the first place." Madara walked off again, forcing Naruto to follow. "There are rules not only for you, but also for our customers. In case they hurt you in any way that wasn't settled in the contract made beforehand, they get banned from this house immediately. I don't want my employees raped after all. By the way: You being here means that Mizuki-kun had you checked up for any diseases, right?"

"Yeah." Naruto quickly realized that he sounded like a robot. _Great, I've turned from a fucking flower into a damn robot!_ "He actually tried to stab me to get the blood, but missed. He still grazed my side though and it started to bleed again a while ago. Turned out I don't have any disease." _How lucky_.

Madara only nodded.

Right now, Naruto wasn't sure what to think of this place. He had been expecting to see cheap-looking hookers and some horny old farts _visiting_ them, but not a guy having to do with some kind of sect, then his art teacher making creepy dolls and a weird doctor slash dog walker taking care of even weirder dogs. Just what the hell was this place? "Uh, Madara… san? What exactly… is this?"

"You weren't expecting this, were you?" he answered, chuckling when he saw the blond's startled expression. "Well, let's say we are a company that does all kinds of jobs. We sell weapons and artwork, the kind you've seen Hidan and Sasori do earlier. Then we also take requests from people that need escorts and not prostitutes per say. There also are people who need things moved from one place to another. For dogs we have Kakashi. All of this is only a facade though to keep our actual business hidden, which would include you and some others. It's also a way for us to earn enough money to take proper care of our employees. Some of them, like Kakashi, live here either because they're here all day anyway or because they have nowhere else to go."

Naruto probably looked too relieved at that moment, seeing how Madara's face darkened remarkably.

"Don't get too happy, kid," he hissed with a glare. "This isn't a sanctuary for some tramps. We don't take people in when they're homeless, but only when we can make use of them."

Somehow Naruto thought that with _us_ he actually meant _me_. His face was unchanging, but when he glanced towards the teen, Naruto saw how his brows furrowed a little.

"We're not just some happy-go-lucky company," the man continued. "Don't be surprised if you see people in the back-rooms cooking a white mixture in a pan. They're making cracked cocaine. If you come across white powder, white rocks, cookies, cake, bread, muffins, chewing gum, rock candy or any energy drinks, don't touch any of it. That's all cocaine too. It's one of our main money sources as well. We've been charged a few times, but the police has never been able to find any real evidence. We have many faithful customers that believe in our legal activities."

"You're using your customers as an alibi?" Should he really have asked that? Naruto suddenly felt like he should slap himself for talking before thinking.

Madara looked Naruto over once, seeming as if he was examining the teen. "You can be sharp if you want, Naruto-kun. I'm sure you know what happens when you share any of this with outsiders. Just remember: This place isn't any better than back at your home with Mizuki, if not even worse. I know how Mizuki treats you and just because _I_ don't jump you doesn't mean others won't. Like I told you: We try to keep our employees safe, but sometimes it's just not possible. People have died here, Naruto. And not in a pretty way. Don't get raped and don't be fooled by how most of the people here act. Pretty much everyone here has some kind of criminal past. Always remember, this is Akatsuki, not a sanctuary."

Now Naruto noticed that they had stopped in front of a door. Madara turned the dull golden knob and pushed it open, then he nudged the boy inside. The door closed behind Naruto with a thud and he glanced back at it nervously. There were two other people in the room and he was sure they were some of the _others_ Madara had talked about earlier. Them being there also meant that they probably were some kinds of criminals and he really didn't want to deal with that.

"You're the new kid?" someone spoke up, making the blond turn his head to look at the other. "Naruto, right?"

Naruto nodded, taking in the boy's appearance. He was around his age, towering over him quite a bit, but he was another weird one. Bluish-white hair, purple eyes – were those contacts? – sleeveless purple shirt and– Wait… was he wearing a belt with lidded cups attached to it? _Purple_ lidded cups?

And there was another weird guy.

_Pale skin, dark eyes, dark hair, around my age too. He looks a little like Uchiha._ _He's looking at me pretty blankl– No way! If that's not the most fakest smile I've ever seen in my entire life, then my name's _Dick_!_

"I'm Suigetsu," the white-haired teen smirked. "That creep over there is Sai."

_Who exactly is the creep here, huh? _"Uh… hey." Naruto wasn't sure how to deal with this. He didn't know if those guys might've stolen from a shop or did something much much worse, like murdering someone.

Why was this Suigetsu-guy laughing? "Taishou told you some weird stories, didn't he?"

"Taishou?" Naruto asked with an eyebrow raising in question.

"Madara, our boss."

_Stop grinning, you cup-freak!_ "Oh… Yeah, he really told me some weird stuff." The blond couldn't help but scratch the back of his head nervously, shuffling his feet a little. "He actually told me that pretty much everyone here is some kind of criminal."

Suigetsu merely gave him a kind of unchanging glare. Why was everyone giving him that look? "Well, that's kinda true."

Naruto gaped, staring at him with disbelief. "What? And what did you… you know… do?"

"Me?" he repeated, pointing at himself.

_Dumb-ass…_

"Um… Nothing special, really. I just… kinda… stole an antique sword from a museum, but I was already here at that time. I've been here for so long, I don't even remember if I've ever been somewhere else before."

The blond tilted his head in curiosity, wondering how someone could blush while talking about major theft. "Then you never met your parents?"

"Nope." Suigetsu shook his head with his lips pressed together. He looked as if he didn't like to talk about it, Naruto could see that.

The blond didn't even care about his expression looking about the same as the other's. "Sucks… My mom died when I was still too little to remember her and my ass of a dad won't ever tell me what's been up with her."

"I'd rather have an ass of a father than none at all," Suigetsu mumbled, his eyes downcast.

A scoff left Naruto's mouth before he could stop it. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. I'm only staying with my dad cause I'd definitely die otherwise. There are so many times when I just think of either seriously killing him or myself just to get away from him. Sometimes I actually start planning how to kill him. I've thought about so many damn ways where he'd die as painfully and slowly as possible without me being caught. He's an asshole and I'm sure there are enough other people hating him. He's also hiding what he does to me, so no one would have any reason to blame me once he's dead. No one would ever know."

Other people would have given him these disbelieving looks, considering to call those _nice_ people in white. He would have been giving himself the same one, just because of the fact that he had just actually said that. He had never been aware of how much he actually wanted his father to be gone, how intense his need to see _him_ suffer for once was. But Suigetsu and Sai were looking at him with something like understanding. Not pity, not disgust, not fear, just simple understanding and no judging at all.

Now Suigetsu was facing him with true curiosity. "Can dads really be that horrible?"

"They can," Naruto replied mechanically. "My dad's making my life living hell. He's the one that forced me into this to earn money cause he was fired from his job. He keeps beating me up whenever he can and he…" He stopped himself there and stared down at the floor.

"He what?" Suigetsu wanted to know. He got up from the floor to step closer to the blond. "Does he yell at you? Force you to _earn money_ like this before? Rape you? Starve you?" He must've noticed how the other flinched at one part, since now he tilted his head and eyed the teen. "He's raping you."

Naruto backed away until his back hit the closed door. He couldn't decide where to look and kept rubbing his left arm, even clawing at it at some point. _Dammit! Why do I always cry when this comes up? I can barely hold it back! The next time I blink, I'll… Dammit._

An arm suddenly wrapped around Naruto's shoulders and when he glanced sideways for a bit he saw Suigetsu right beside him. He wanted to slap his arm away, push him out of a window, run away, but he held himself back. Suigetsu didn't want to harm him, he knew that, but he still started to shake like a leaf in his hold. _Fuck!_

"There's nothing bad about the way you react. It's only natural."

Tears were running down the blond's checks and he didn't dare to look at Suigetsu directly. "What would you know?"

Suigetsu sighed, his breath running over the other's shoulder. "Both me and Sai… we've been raped too. With me it's some banned customers that see me every now and then, outside of here, and feel like fucking me. Most of the time I'm able to fight them off, but cause I usually wander around by myself, I don't always make it out completely unscathed. And Sai…" He quickly glanced at Sai, seeming to check if he was allowed to say. Sai nodded, so Suigetsu continued. "Sai has been in an orphanage his entire life before he came here a few years ago. The caretakers there weren't the nicest people. Ever heard of Danzo?"

Naruto briefly remembered hearing about him on the news, so he nodded.

"Then you know how Danzo used his position as head of the orphanage to rape the children and was arrested for child molestation, right? He didn't care that the caretakers too had their way with pretty much all of the children. The kids were told that if they said anything, they'd get their tongues cut of. Sai used to have someone there that was like a brother to him and so he was able to endure the abuse, but that guy died after being hurt too much after one of Danzo's _attacks_. From what Sai told me – he doesn't talk much about himself, you know – after his brother died, he didn't have anything to hold on to anymore and so he ran away. I think he was only twelve or thirteen at that time, but he was smart enough to leave an anonymous hint at the police. That way they actually caught wind of what was happening and started to investigate."

Naruto was looking at Suigetsu with wide eyes by now. They both really had gone through things like that? "But… doesn't Sai get attacked by customers?"

"That's what makes me and him different," the white-haired teen noted, releasing Naruto from his hold, but staying pretty close. "My customers are all around my age and if anything, _only_ about ten years older than me. Sai's customers though have a thing for the pretty young ones. His are usually married and would never risk to cause a scene and get caught. Mine though… Mine get drunk, feel like rebels and the most bad-ass people on the fucking globe. I'm the only one of us able to handle them." He eyed Naruto. Again. "Let's see what kind of type you are."

"Wha–" His lips were suddenly on the blond's neck, nipping at his skin. It reminded me so much of what his dad usually did. Whenever he did homework, whenever he was getting ready for school, whenever he was just watching TV, his father was there to feel him up. Always. But he told himself that Suigetsu was different. He knew this pain, he knew how he felt. He wouldn't hurt him intentionally, right? Naruto couldn't hold back the moan that bubbled up from his mouth when Suigetsu moved up to nibble at his ear, then moved on to his jaw. He definitely wasn't as rough as his father. He always ended up with bruises after his father got his hands on him, but Suigetsu he… Naruto could feel comfortable with him. He didn't flinch back when he pressed his lips onto his, pushing his tongue into the teen's mouth, tangling it with his. For the first time, Naruto didn't feel disgusted while kissing someone and he almost didn't shake at all as hands cupped his face to pull him closer and deeper into the kiss.

Suddenly, Suigetsu pulled away just so much that their lips didn't meet, but stayed close enough for their noses to bump. His lips kept hovering around Naruto's, teasing him. The blond growled, grabbing the back of Suigetsu's head and shoving him closer again. Naruto plunged his tongue into the other's mouth, moaning.

This sudden rush of lust surprised Naruto. He was being raped on a daily basis after all. Usually, victims of rape flinched away from other people's touch, he knew that, but somehow he suddenly wanted this really bad. He couldn't help it. Naruto wanted to know how it would be like when someone saw him as a person and not just a fuck-toy. He _needed_ to know, had to prove it to himself that he still had a free will, even if his shaking wouldn't stop.

Again, Suigetsu was the one to pull away. "Wow, you're pretty eager." That was enough to make Naruto blush and the white-haired teen knew that. "I guess you're kind of feisty. Maybe you can even take on my customers. That really would be a relief."

Somehow it made Naruto proud that Suigetsu trusted him and didn't see a weak psycho in him like everyone else. He didn't pity him and he even trusted him with something like this after they had only met a few minutes ago. Naruto smiled at him, even though he should have been yelling at him for promising to sick his weird customers on him after this short time they had met.

The door suddenly opened, causing Naruto to jump in surprise. Madara was standing in the frame and staring at him and Suigetsu. Why did Naruto feel like he just had done something forbidden? Was it even allowed for two _employees_ to be _involved_ with each other?

"I see…" Madara started, glancing back and forth between Naruto and Suigetsu with a knowing expression. He stepped into the room to face the blond. "Naruto, you have your first customer. Let Suigetsu explain everything and prepare yourself. Be ready within an hour."

All Naruto could do was stare at him in shock. He really was going to be fucked this early?

* * *

><p>I'm sorry if this chapter sounds weird. I originally wrote its outline in first perspective, then later on changed it to third perspective, so it's probably a bit different to my usual writing style. I'm just too lazy of a person to rewrite an entire chapter.<p>

The next chapter will be what all of you have been waiting for! And don't deny it, cause otherwise you wouldn't be reading this story right now. Hmm… Not much to say otherwise. The title of the next chapter is ambiguous. _Suggestive_ even. Who can find out what it means, huh? Being able to find out the hidden meaning also means being able to find out who Naruto's first client will be. If you can understand any hints I've been making, that is.

Next Chapter: Head For Your Seniors!

– Murasaki B


	11. Head for Your Seniors!

Hi there!

To prove how much of a _stultus_ I apparently have become from losing portions of my brain to studying, here's something that recently happened: I put friggin' _glue_ on my charging… thingy… for my Macbook, you know what I mean. Some of the isolation was broken so I tried to fix it with glue. That in itself was already stupid. But _then_, after a while, I looked if it still worked, already having a bad feeling. The tiny lamp on it didn't light up! I thought I had trashed the thing, so I went on a spree to find a replacement on amazon. I bought one with Morning Express, _then _checked if it was cheeper somewhere else since I was too annoyed by the thought of actually _calculating_ the prize. When it _was_ cheaper, I cancelled the order. I repeated this process at least five times. Once done, watching Mac-tan's energy slowly draining, I decided to turn it off to save some energy for the next day. And then I realized… that the charger _wasn't even plugged in_! And yesterday I got a message saying that _my order was sent_. I forgot to cancel the last order! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid… *keeps muttering*

Enjoy the chapter! Please…

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

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><p><span>Chapter XI<span>  
><span>– Head for Your Seniors! –<span>

Naruto's steps were hesitant, his posture fearful. Closely observing people could see how reluctant he actually was to follow Madara.

_I've got my first customer. Okay… Nothing bad. Not like I didn't do anything like this before. _The blond nodded to himself, trying to reassure himself. Then he grabbed his own hair and wildly shook his head, clenching his teeth. _What am I telling myself? I've never done anything like this before! What… What's happening at home, privately, is something completely different. What if… What if someone… hears or worse: sees? I mean, how thick can the walls here be?_

"Did Suigetsu explain everything to you properly?" Madara suddenly cut into the frantic teen's thoughts.

"Ah… I guess." All Suigetsu had told him was that kissing and cuddling was absolutely off limits. Anything beyond simple sex was a complete no-no and should the customer do anything close to that anyway, the employees had the opportunity to press the button on the bracelets they were wearing. Wearily, Naruto glanced down at the silver metal bracelet, wishing he could use something like that at home. Then, each time he felt uncomfortable, he could press the button and someone would come to his rescue. A small smile crept onto the blond's face. _That would be nice_.

After a few minutes of walking down several corridors, Madara stopped in his tracks and in front of a door. "Here it is," the man murmured. "Remember, you're an employee. Your customer might have weird quirks, but as long as he doesn't ignore any of the restrictions, he's free to do anything he likes with you. You're being paid after all." Without waiting for any sign of acknowledgement of his words from the teen, the man pushed open the door and ushered Naruto inside.

Somewhat timidly, Naruto stepped inside and found the room empty. He turned around, sending a questioning look at Madara.

"I'll bring your customer here. Prepare yourself." That was all the man said before slamming the door shut, his retreating steps echoing until they merged with the silence engulfing the teen inside the room.

_This is insane! Why do I let dad do this to me? Now I'll not only be his fuck-toy, but also that of any fucktard that pays!_

Feeling displaced standing in the middle of the room, Naruto walked over to the large bed ahead. After dragging his steps as he approached, the blond collapsed onto the silky blankets in a down-right defeated way and heaved a deep sigh. He felt uncomfortable very quickly and turned over every few seconds. Finally, after shifting around and being unable to lay without feeling uneasy, Naruto sat up and stared at the door with his legs dangling from the bed's edge.

Then the knob turned and the wooden door swung open with a small creak.

Naruto held his breath, eyes widening as he intently stared at the spot where his first client would appear any moment.

A mop of hair peaked through the door, along with an all too familiar face. Upon seeing the teen on the bed, the other froze, incredulously staring at Naruto. "U-Uzumaki?"

_No… No… No. No._

Hands fiercely clawed into the soft sheets on the bed, a head beginning to shake frantically.

_No. No. NO!_

Legs moved on their own, making the blond back away and further onto the bed, scrambling away as far as possible.

_No…_

"D-D…" Naruto couldn't get his hands to stop trembling as he cast his eyes downward, his breathing beginning to hitch. Tears began to prick at the rim of his eyes and he shut them tightly to prevent any wetness from leaving them. The sound of steps approaching caused the blond to cringe and blindly back away further until his back met fluffy pillows.

"What're you doing here, hm?"

Naruto kept silent, unwilling to talk since his voice would definitely give up on him.

An exasperated sigh sounded. The scraping of wood against the floor then ricocheted from the walls, the sound of someone dropping into a chair following. "Look… I'm kinda sorry for what happened earlier."

No response.

"I never meant to make you bleed or something, hm," the other continued. "Don't wanna kill anyone, you know."

_You damn coward_. After berating himself throughout the apology, Naruto finally raised his head to face the other, tears barely held back, fingers clenching into the bed sheets. "I can imagine what you're thinking right now, Deidara."

"Just… what the hell are you doing here?" the blond inquired, genuinely curious.

Naruto couldn't look the other in the eyes as he desperately hid his panic behind a mask of feigned indifference. The same mask he had unconsciously worn over the past years until it had become natural. He was able to pull it out whenever he wanted. "I'm being forced to earn money."

"By who, hm?"

Somehow, the younger teen managed a glare without breaking down into a heap of sobbing mess. "None of your business. Do you want to get this over with or not?"

"Wh-What?"

Becoming less and less nervous, Naruto was able to sigh in an annoyed way, slowly loosening up from his cowered position into a more relaxed one. "You already paid didn't you?" Deidara nodded, but the blue-eyed teen cut him off before he could say anything. "And I can't screw up with my first client. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if my…" Naruto clenched his hands into fists as he trailed off, eyes darkening.

Deidara gulped, growing nervous all of a sudden. "I don't think… I mean, I've known you for at least a year now and… you're still underage. This is totally ille–"

"Didn't stop you from fucking Suigetsu," Naruto shot back.

Pure incredulity was displayed on the other's face, his jaw clenching. "How–"

"Suigetsu… kinda told me."

"Kinda?"

Naruto shrugged, getting up from the bed and approaching Deidara sitting on a chair in front of the bed. He stopped as he stood right in front of the other and fixed him with an unchanging gaze. "I won't tell anyone if you don't tell anyone." Receiving a hesitant nod after a moment of thinking, the blond got onto his knees in front of the older one. His fingers quickly found the zipper on Deidara's pants, pulling it down and causing some noise in the process.

Deidara gasped as the younger male reached into his pants without hesitating or flinching, letting him doubt that Naruto was actually doing something like that for the very first time. A hand wrapped around his already slightly hardened cock and brought it to nearly full attention, as it was pulled out of the confines of the taller blond's pants. He couldn't take his eyes off of the sight of Naruto's tongue peaking out to give his member a long and slow lick, from the tip to the base. Another lick back up to the top followed, enticing a low moan from Deidara as he started to pant breathlessly. A hand suddenly grabbed the base of his dick, jerking upwards, a finger skimming over his tip. Pre-cum began to leak from his member, smearing over Naruto's fingers as he kept jerking his hand up and down Deidara's member.

No thoughts ran through Naruto's mind as he engulfed Deidara with his mouth and let his tongue slide over the heated skin. He was numb, he didn't think, he didn't feel. He never did.

Teeth grazed over his erection, eliciting loud groans of bliss to fall from the older male's mouth. Deidara tried his best to hold back to not come after only barely a minute, but the tongue lapping at his cock, the teeth scraping his skin and the wet heat engulfing him made it close to impossible. Unconsciously, he had grabbed the top of Naruto's head and tangled his fingers into the blond hair, guiding the teen. It was all he could do not to buck too much and to keep at least some control over the situation. But all control and all thoughts were lost as Naruto pulled back, only to lightly bite his tip while his hands squeezed his cock. White spurts of Deidara's hot release shot onto the younger one's face.

Casually and completely unfazed, Naruto sat back and leaned against the bed behind him, bringing up a hand to wipe the semen from his face. Having nothing to clean it off, the blonde simply licked if off his hand, making Deidara blush bright red as he couldn't keep his eyes away yet again.

Deidara was still wheezing when the other blond suddenly approached him like a small predator. Naruto lightly gripped his thighs, sliding up until their faces were teasingly close. Slowly, the younger of the two straddled the other and kissed the corner of Deidara's lips, giving it a nip with his sharp teeth. He then sat up onto his knees, opened his pants and pulled down the back of said pants a bit. Without hesitating a moment too long, he then impaled himself on the other's hard length. A moan of mock pleasure passed his lips, the pain bit by bit subsiding a little since he was used to much worse. It was the first time _he_ was in control and perhaps he would finally experience how this would feel if he actually had a say in it. Imagining Deidara was someone that actually had deeper feelings for him, he let his head drop onto the blond's shoulder as he forced himself to move up and down and remembered to moan every now and then. He had successfully been able to block anything out until that point, but a cock up his ass was something he couldn't just imagine not being there. A cock in his mouth he could replace with food in his mind, but not if said male part was shoved in an entirely different part of his body.

It gladly took only a few minutes for Deidara to finish and shoot his load into Naruto with a satisfied groan. Once feeling the hot seed filling him up in such a disgusting way he felt like scrubbing his innards with steel wool, Naruto tried not to get away too eagerly. He quickly noticed how his client wasn't in his right mind yet, so he slid off to grab Deidara's manhood and push it back into the other's pants, then zipping said pants up. As soon as he was finished, he closed his own open fly as well. "And?"

"What?" Deidara sputtered, a flush still apparent on his face.

Refraining from rolling his cerulean eyes, Naruto kept his mask on, his head still empty and only doing the most necessary things to keep his system running, to keep his body alive. "Was I any good?"

"Well… yeah."

"Then tell that Madara when he asks you and I'll forgive you for trying to kill me."

"I didn't–" Deidara was responded to by Naruto making to leave, completely ignoring him and his retort.

Naruto's head was void of emotions and thoughts as he left. Mind numb, body numb. The blond didn't even feel the knob in his hand as he turned it. He didn't feel anything as he noted the lingering salty taste on his tongue and the slight sting in his backside.

He was numb.

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><p>The blond teen felt wary about leaving. Even though there was nothing he wanted to do more, the darkness beginning to engulf Konoha with its clutches sent chills down Naruto's spine. It would take him at least half an hour until he would reach home from where he was now. Unlike Suigetsu and Sai, who lived in the Akatsuki building, Madara had given the blond permission to leave after being told by Deidara that Naruto had done a satisfying job. Usually, darkness had always held something comforting for the blond. It gave him something the bright sky of the day couldn't give: Emptiness. A comforting silence. An atmosphere that resembled his innermost depths, the coldness his heart was wrapped in, the voidness of his mind. A darkness he felt drawn to. But now all he could see in the shadows surrounding him was an ever-present threat. The fear of hearing steps following him clawed at his guts, making his insides churn with dread. For ten minutes already Naruto had been standing in front of the closed door of the Akatsuki building, unmoving, wondering how he should get home without getting a panic attack whenever the slightest foreign sound reached his ears.<p>

A gasp of shock ripped from his mouth at the sudden beeping of his phone in his pants' pocket. Fingers shaking just a tad, he pulled the damn thing out to see its screen glowing eerily in the darkness around him, showing an unknown number. He hesitated to take the call since he dreaded to discover the identity of the person calling him at such a late hour. It couldn't be Sakura because her name would have been shown on the device's screen. His dad had a different ring tone, so it wasn't him either. Despite his thumb slightly resisting his brain, Naruto pushed the button that would reveal the caller and lifted the phone to his ear. He paused, gulping, then took a deep, shaky breath. "H-Hello? Who's there?"

_"It's me," _the other replied flatly.

Naruto sighed in relief, nearly collapsing to his knees. "Thank god, it's you."

_"What?"_

A small chuckle passed the blond's lips and he even smiled a bit at his own stupidity. "I was just… panicking a little, is all. Wait, why are you calling me anyway?"

It was silent on the other line for a while, the sound of some shifting permeating through the speaker. _"I just figured that it should be time for you to leave _that_ place. I wanted to see if you pegged out yet."_

"Way to be sensitive, bastard," Naruto replied, chuckling again. "It's nice to see how concerned you are about me."

_"So why were you panicking, idiot?"_

Naruto sighed heavily as he glanced towards the street he was supposed to walk down and decided to finally get moving. He departed from the stairs leading down to the small path in front of the building and headed for the sidewalk beside the empty street. "Uh… Remember how I heard someone following me last time you called? I'm just… Right now… Right now I'm alone. Outside. In the dark. And somehow I have to get home without freaking out."

_"You're freaking out about one single time where you got a bit paranoid?"_

"No!" the blond defensively replied a bit to quickly. "I just realized that… that it wasn't the first time that happened. There were other times when I felt creeped out and as if someone was watching me. That one time was just the first time I actually got freaked out a bit." Naruto was frantic by now, his pace quickening until he was almost running down the sidewalk. "I mean, I… I get constantly glared at by people and some even used to beat me up when I was younger and now I'm just really worried that someone might be actually coming after me, trying to kill me in the _worst_ way possible and all. I just… just–"

_"Moron, you talk too much."_

A bitter laugh escaped Naruto's mouth as he slapped a hand over his eyes, walking blindly for a few seconds, before he dropped his arm again. "Yeah… right." He yelped when he stepped onto an empty bottle, the sound the glass produced as it rolled along the stony pavement making Naruto cringe. He stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly realizing that he was completely out in the open. Street lights were illuminating his path, but only every twenty metres or so. In between, there was a looming semi-darkness and beyond the light, Naruto couldn't see _anything_ at all. "Hey… you don't happen to, by some really weird coincidence, live in Konoha, do you?"

_"Well…"_

Naruto found the reaction weird. Knowing the stranger, the other would have grunted smugly by now and called him an idiot for even thinking about something so unlikely. But that wasn't the case.

_"I do, actually."_

"S-Seriously?" Naruto almost dropped his phone in surprise, beginning to walk again. "Then… uh… would you mind… picking me up or something? I'm getting the creeps walking around here like this." Tremors began to wreck his body again as thought he had heard a car's engine somewhere in the distance.

_"I can't."_

His mood deflating visibly with his shoulders sagging and a frown forming on his face, Naruto stared down at his feet as he walked.

_"A friend of my parents is here. I can't leave without it seeming down-right suspicious. I also don't have a car."_

_Why do I even want him with me? What if he's some insane killer out to find his next victim?_ A sad smile then graced Naruto's features as a thought hit him. _Actually, I'm no one to judge over someone like that. And this… stranger… Why do I trust him so much? All I ever want is to be as far away as possible from people._

_"Dumbass, did you faint from a fright?"_

Somehow, Naruto was unable to form a reply, so he stayed silent. He couldn't think because his mind kept repeating that one question.

_Why do I trust a complete stranger I don't even know the name of?_

_"Dunce bat."_

_Is it _because_ I don't know his name? After all, if it came down to it, he wouldn't know who I am and I wouldn't have to deal with any consequences. I could give him a detailed plan of how I'd like to kill my dad, actually go through with it and he couldn't do much about it._

_"Dead last."_

_Sure, he lives in Konoha and this town is so small we only have one high school, but the chances of him knowing who I am are pretty small. Even so, he wouldn't be able to blame me for murder– Wait, why the fuck am I thinking about this anyway?_

_"Idiot! What the fuck are you doing?"_

"Huh?" Only now did Naruto realize that he had lowered his phone from his ear, hearing the yell through his speaker only because it was so loud. Quickly, he pressed it to his ear again. "Sorry, sorry. I was a little lost in thoughts for a moment."

_"Look…"_ The voice on the other line was growing to sound slightly impatient and annoyed, yet still calm. _"Usually, I wouldn't mind to leave, but this friend of my parents visits very rarely. He's already breathing down my neck and I can already imagine how he's going to interrogate me if I left to pick up someone that's a complete stranger to me."_

Naruto had only listened to half of what the other had said and he felt a bit guilty for paying so few attention. "Right… Uh… That's fine, really. I'll just–"

Suddenly, the teen was illuminated by a bright light right behind him. He turned, faced with only light and nothing else.

Now he finally heard the car engine, much closer now than it had when he had last heard it. So it hadn't been his imagination.

"Oh damn," the blond mumbled. "Oh fucking damn." He jerked his head back forward, quickening his pace again. "Why a car? Can't it be a bicycle?"

The car followed.

_"What now?"_

"I need to go." Before the other could reply, Naruto ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He broke into a run, not caring about thinking if the car was really following him or not.

The car speeding up behind him confirmed his suspicions either way.

Naruto ran harder, faster. He ran for several minutes on end, making many turns and preventing the car from getting close to him. Had he been on an open field, he would have been caught after only a short moment. He continued to run until the very act of breathing caused him pain as the chilling air of the night bit at his throat. He continued to run despite every single muscle in his legs burning with aching pain. He continued to run, fear being his motor, the adrenaline running through his veins his fuel. Tripping over his own feet many times, the blond scraped open his knees, his arms and his hands, but he didn't care. A layer of sweat mingling with dirt began to cake his heated skin.

Making another turn around a corner, Naruto found himself in a labyrinth of alleys. Relieved, he stormed into a random dark alley and ran until he reached another turn and three different ways to choose from. Hearing no sound from the car anymore, he hastily pulled out his phone, panting heavily, then slammed in a number he could hardly ever forget.

The person picked up after only a few rings, a deep voice resounding from the speaker. _"Naruto? That you?"_

Feeling defeated and unable to move any further without collapsing, Naruto slid down a wall until he was sitting on the dirty ground of the still silent alleyway. He sobbed quietly, biting his bottom lip to prevent tears from spilling out of his eyes. All his pain, all his fear came bubbling up as soon as he heard the voice he had been longing to hear for so long, the voice of the familiar redhead. "Kyuubi… Dad, he… he forces me to… and the car…" Taking a few shuddering intakes of air to calm his nerves, Naruto covered his eyes with one shaking hand. "Can you please come here? I-I… I think I can't take this any longer."

_"Goof-head, what–"_

"Please just come here. Quickly." A sniff sounded as Naruto began to rub his eyes, feeling his sight blurring with wetness.

_"It'll take until tomorrow until I get there! Are you–"_

Holding back a scream of frustration, the blond clenched the phone in his hand tighter. "Kyuubi, just come here as quickly as possible. I need you."

_"Allright, allright, jeez."_

The line went dead, leaving Naruto alone with the eery silence.

Out of nowhere, the sound of a car door slamming shut echoed throughout the alley. Steps following, their volume rising as they approached.

His adrenaline rush died down by now Naruto tried to get up, but upon feeling burning pain and looking down, he found the blood tinting the material of his shirt. The wound in his side had reopened yet again, deeming him unable to get up.

The steps became louder, sounding out of all kinds of directions and making it impossible to pin-point where they were coming from.

No matter how much he tried, the blond couldn't get up at this point anymore. Panicked desperation claimed his mind as he wildly glanced around the alley. There were shadows playing along the walls, moving, dancing.

Suddenly, the sound of steps was so close, Naruto was sure that whoever was there would reach him once the next corner was turned. The frightened teen waited for the encounter he couldn't avoid now, tightly shutting his eyes.

He was resolved to his fate. He couldn't escape, he couldn't fight. But whatever was going to happen couldn't be much worse than how his current life was, right?

The steps… They had rounded the corner. And stopped.

"Naruto…"

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><p><em>Akatsuki<em> won't be having a major role in this story just yet, meaning I'm not gonna whore Naruto out each chapter (almost). I know a lot of you are probably disappointed. Don't deny it. All of you are major pervs. You wouldn't read this story otherwise, my fellow pervs!

**iLummieDemCookiiez **mentioned that there wasn't any SasuxNaru. Well, eventually there will be SasuxNaru, but when, I won't tell *insert Oga's demon face here*. And as to the hints about this chapter I've been making and the title: _Senior_ obviously refers to Deidara and in a previous chapter I kinda mentioned that Deidara was Naruto's senior (or did I?), meaning he was the only one fitting the title. Oh, and the "_Head for"-_refers to Naruto giving Deidara head. Get it? It's actually simple and stupid once I explain it… The next chapter's title also contains a hint.

Next chapter: The Faithful Watchdog

– Murasaki B


	12. The Faithful Watchdog

Hi there!

Since I don't have much time left before my wifi shuts down, this is a bit unedited. I'll reply to PMs when I get the time.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

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><p><span>Chapter XII<span>  
><span>– The Faithful Watchdog –<span>

"Naruto?"

The blond froze in place, unwilling to open his eyes and see his follower. His heart pumping harshly sent blood rushing through his veins, blocking every noise from reaching his ears. Even the call of his name was only a muffled sound his mind didn't process.

A yelp ripped from Naruto's throat as a sudden wetness lapped at his ear and cheek. His eyes shot open and he was greeted by the sight of slitted black eyes curiously peering down at him.

"What'cha doing here?" the other asked.

Naruto blinked in surprise and shock for a moment, trying to compose himself again. "I-Inuzuka?"

"Uh… yeah," the brunet replied. "Need a hand?" Kiba was smiling, but worry lined his features since he had long seen the blood covering the side of the blond's shirt.

All Naruto did was nod and lower his head. He glanced side-ways to see a panting Akamaru beside him. He accepted Kiba's outstretched hand and let himself be helped up cautiously. Though he winced anyway, the feeling of utter relief overshadowed anything negative he was feeling at that moment. "What're you doing here?"

A small chuckle sounded from the slightly taller teen as he eyed the blond with growing concern. "I'm walking Akamaru. I live around here."

The sound of footsteps then reached the two teens.

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened in shock, his hand clenching into Kiba's as he stood. "C-Can we leave?" he asked shakily, frantic eyes on the other. "Quickly."

"Sure." Kiba knew better than to ask the blond what exactly was up. If Naruto wasn't telling him on his own, he wouldn't even if he asked. Though he had always liked the blond's stubbornness in some way, it often proved to be a hindrance. Feeling wary about the approaching footsteps himself, Kiba decided to get Naruto out of there as soon as possible. "Get onto Akamaru."

"W-What?" Naruto sent a disbelieving gape towards Kiba. "He's a dog, not a horse!"

Kiba grinned cheekily, pushing the blond towards his dog's back despite Naruto complaints. "Not a big deal. Akamaru can handle some weight, right?"

An approving bark sounded from the white dog as he sent Naruto a somewhat expectant look.

Beginning to panic over the foreign footsteps becoming louder, Naruto discarded his doubts and got onto the dog's back.

"Hold on tight," Kiba warned, before dashing away, Akamaru following suit with Naruto releasing a small gasp of surprise as well as pain, since all the movement only made the gash in his side more prominent in his mind. After only a few steps, the brunet noticed how the distant footsteps had turned into the sound of someone running, still approaching.

Kiba knew that there were people that hated Naruto and he assumed this had something to do with it. More than once he had experienced their willingness to resort to physical violence. He remembered the one time when three teens much older than them had ganged up on Naruto and him, Shikamaru and Chouji had tried to scare them away. Without much success. All of them had gotten beaten up, but at least they had tried. That's something, right? It felt good to Kiba to just run, knowing he was being followed. He knew he shouldn't be enjoying something that caused Naruto any uneasiness, but he still did. A wide grin spread on his face as he ran alongside the dog he had raised since childhood, feeling like a hero saving the damsel in distress from the villain's clutches, even though the supposed damsel wasn't being tied to railroads by a villain twirling his weird mustache. Not to mention that the damsel was a dude.

Minutes of taking a few well-planned turns later, Kiba, Akamaru and Naruto arrived at a street. They still kept running, hearing the engine of a car now following them from a distance again.

No headlights were in sight yet, but Naruto knew all too well that they would be appearing soon. Too soon.

"There we are," Kiba declared coming to a halt in front of one of the houses lining the street.

"Huh?" Glancing to where the brunet was looking, Naruto saw the tall house of the Inuzuka clan. "It's… big."

Kiba smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "It is?"

The screeching of wheels against the street's pavement rang out loudly as a black car with tinted windows came driving around the corner and towards the small group.

"Shit!" the dark-eyed teen cursed, ushering Naruto and his dog past the gates of his house.

They broke into another mad dash, running towards the front door as the roaring car came closer and closer with each second.

Kiba was the first to arrive, though he actually slammed into his own front door, unable to slow down properly before. He fiercely knocked onto the door, knowing the only person home was his sister Hana, who tended to tease him by taking an eternity to get to the door. "Hana, open up! This is an emergency, so get your ass here before I knock this damn door down!"

On the street behind them, the car came to a halt. Doors were knocked open, someone getting out, doors slamming shut again. Steps approaching.

"Fuck!" Kiba yelled, now actually beginning to feel panicked. "Hana!"

The door flew open to reveal a disgruntled-looking teen with the same shade of brown hair that Kiba's showed, though she didn't have his feral features. "What?" she spat, only now noticing the blond on Akamaru's back. Before she was able to actually recognize the teen though, she was roughly pushed aside by her brother, the large dog following suit.

Knocking the door closed, Kiba gasped for air, more because of his bouts of panic than because of exhaustion. His back to the wooden door, he slid down until he was sitting, head falling back against it. "Damn."

"Um…" Hana looked back and forth between her disheveled brother and the bloodied blond. "I guess I'll leave you two for a while. Call me if you need something." Though the look in her eyes threatened Kiba not to waste her time and promised pain in many ways if he did.

Releasing a loud sigh of relief, Kiba got up from the floor to walk over to a panting Naruto. "You okay?"

"I guess," Naruto replied shakily, holding onto the wound in his side, hoping it wasn't bleeding too bad. The patch of blood on his shirt hadn't increased from the size of about his palm yet and the blond considered that a good sign. He had trouble getting off of the dog's back anyway and only could do so when Kiba helped him.

"What now?" the brunet inquired, supporting Naruto and leading him upstairs. "You can't go out there now and I won't let you leave until tomorrow morning or until someone picks you up."

Usually, Naruto would have refused to crash at someone else's place, especially the house of someone he had actually loathed for the past years. Usually, he would have done anything in his might to get home before his dad would have reason to get angry. Usually, he would have straight-out said _No_.

But he didn't.

"'Kay," Naruto mumbled. "I'll stay."

* * *

><p>"Okay. This might become a problem."<p>

Kiba said this to Naruto, realizing that all of the guest beds were occupied by dogs. Actually, the guest room had been supposed to be for… well… guests. But over time, the five dogs of the family had decided to make the guest room their domain for most of the day, making it a dog room. And _dog room_ was synonymous to _room not suitable for Naruto to sleep in_.

"Um… would you mind sleeping in my room then?" Kiba inquired, still nervous. "I can't possibly ask you to sleep on our couch the way you are now. And I… uh… actually managed to get a concussion the last time I slept on our couch and my mom'll throw a hissy fit if she ever finds me sleeping on that thing again." He visibly cringed at the imagination of a furious Inuzuka Tsume.

"Inuzuka…" the blond started, curiously glaring at the other boy, while sitting on Kiba's bed, "how the hell did you manage that?"

Kiba laughed in an abashed manner as he scratched his cheek adorned with the trade-mark fang markings of the Inuzuka clan. "I… um… kinda rolled off of the couch and hit my head on the table's edge."

"Inuzuka…"

"W-What?"

The blank expression on Naruto's face never faltered. "I saw the table in front of your couch in the living room. It's at least an entire metre away from the couch."

"Um… I'm a heavy sleeper?"

"More like a hyper-active walrus on sedatives the moment you fall asleep."

An indignant and _manly_ pout appeared on Kiba's face at the retort. "If anything, I'd be a dog."

"Aren't walruses a type of dog?"

Pure incredulity was pictured in the look that then settled on the Inuzuka's face. "The hell…" He suddenly dashed away. "Hana!" He noisily rumbled down the stairs to where his sister was on the phone talking to their mother.

Still in the brunet's room, Naruto smiled a little at the other's antics. _Weird guy._

Only seconds later, Kiba came back up and into the room with an incredulous and defeated look in his eyes, sitting down on the chair in front of his desk. "Fuck."

"See, I'm a genius."

Weakly, the brunet glared at Naruto. "Awesome. Just keep throwing salt into the wound." Suddenly, Kiba felt like he should confront Naruto about so much, now that he was willing to stay. He was just afraid of Naruto leaving the moment he started talking about therapists, their past and lost memories. With the blond's current state, he knew it was essential for Naruto to stay and rest and not go out endangering himself.

"Hey, um… so where am I sleeping?"

Shaken from his thoughts, Kiba finally looked at the blond on his bed. "Yeah… We don't have any spare mattresses, so…" He trailed off, hoping Naruto would get the point. The light of realization lit up in the blond's eyes and so the brunet went on. "I hope you don't mind." Seeing how the other seemed a bit shaken and _very_ speechless, he rambled on. "I mean… I… um… my mom's room is completely off-limits and though Hana is about to leave too, she always locks her room so I can't get in. She's so paranoid." He was getting fidgety as he laughed nervously. "After all, I didn't let Akamaru eat her make-up stuff on purpose and… uh… and–"

"I-I'm fine with it, Inuzuka." Naruto felt surprise wash over him as Kiba's look saddened. He was about to ask, but the other beat him to it.

"Could you do me a favor?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to become nervous. "I guess." After all, this was the guy that had saved him. He should be able to do him a little favor.

Kiba averted his gaze away from the other for a while, staying like that until he fixed Naruto with a pleading look. "Can you call me _Kiba_?"

Cerulean eyes widened a fraction, before merging with the rest of Naruto's features into an almost-not-even-there smile. "Sure."

"Awesome," the brunet replied, grinning brightly. Seeing that hint of a smile on Naruto's face after so many years had a much bigger effect on Kiba than he would have expected.

Naruto suddenly backed away on the bed in mock shock. "Dude, are you crying?"

"What? No!" Kiba quickly made to remove any wetness from his eyes, another one of his _manly_ pouts settling on his face.

_"I'm leaving!"_ came Hana's voice from down-stairs.

"Yeah!" Kiba called back, turning his head to his closed door. "Be careful with any perverts!"

_"Yeah, yeah…"_ After the small mumbled reply, the sound of a door opening and then shutting sounded.

Naruto sent the other a questioning look as he turned back again. "Are you sure it's safe for her to leave this late?"

"Oh no, I was talking about her being careful not to beat up any perverts coming on to her too bad," he replied nonchalantly, waving it off. "It's happened before, you know."

_Okay, this entire family is messed up and insane._ The blond only shook his head, feigning disbelief. "You are one hell of a weird family."

"Hey!"

The smile on Naruto's face widened just a tad, though he felt like he should be laughing or reacting a lot more. _Guess I'm pretty dull._ "Say, can I use your shower?" he threw in as Kiba kept glaring at him. "I'm still kinda bloody."

"Yeah, go ahead. It's just down the hallway. Take whatever you need. Wait, I'll give you something to sleep in." The brunet got up from the chair to walk over to his dresser, pulling open drawers to reveal a mess of clothes. After some shuffling, he pulled out a dark gray shirt and threw it towards the blond, who caught it with ease. "It's my size, but it shouldn't be too big."

Nodding and muttering a curt "Thanks", Naruto left and headed for the bathroom. Once he arrived there, he dumped the clean shirt on a counter and carefully pulled off his stained one as well as the bandages around his stomach. He was already used to the pain the wound in his side caused, so he barely flinched as he undressed. After hopping into the shower and turning on the water, he first let cold water rain down on him. About a minute later, he turned the water much warmer, hot water now running down his skin. He had made the experience that taking contrast showers helped to reduce the pain of any kinds of injuries and also increased the speed of healing. Actually, his wounds tended to heal fairly quickly anyway. He grabbed some shower gel and cleansed the dirt, sweat and blood from his body, careful to avoid the gash in his side. Some of the foam slid down his skin and into the wound anyway, causing the blond to hiss in pain. He ignored it though, moving on to shampoo his hair.

All the while, the teen's head remained void of thoughts. Even if he tried, he wasn't able to fully process the events of the day. He couldn't comprehend that in only one day, he had passed out in P.E., several people nearly had discovered the many injuries littering his skin, he had managed his first day in Akatsuki and sucked off and _rode_ the very guy that had purposely hurt him, he had talked to his mystery phone interlocutor twice and he suddenly got along with Inuzuka Kiba, despite having been a total ass to him only hours earlier.

After a few minutes, Naruto turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a fluffy towel and started to messily dry himself, only dabbing at his stomach wound. He found fresh band-aids in a cabinet and stuck a large, but slim one over the gash to prevent dirtying anything with his blood. When he put on the shirt Kiba had given him, he was still partially wet, droplets of water trickling from his blond spikes of hair. He left the bathroom wearing said shirt and his own boxers and carrying his soiled shirt.

"Jeez, I needed that," the blond muttered as he entered the Inuzuka's room again. He flopped down onto the large bed, noting how Kiba didn't respond. Glancing sideways, Naruto found the other teen already dozing off beside him. Mischievous smirk plastering itself on the shorter teen's face, Naruto sat up and quietly got off the bed. He began searching around the room and after silently making a mess out of the brunet's room like the ninja he was, he finally found what he had searched for. He positioned himself beside Kiba after turning off all the lights in the room, making it pitch-dark. Lowering his mouth to the other's ear, he took a deep breath, turned on the flashlight and held the light right into Kiba's face. "_Truck!_"

"Fuck!" Shooting up-right with a jerk, Kiba scrambled around in shock and promptly fell from the bed. He frantically rushed around the dark room, bumping into furniture every now and then. Finally, he found the light switch and turned it on to illuminate the room again. "N-Naru…to?"

The blond released a small grunt of suppressed laughter and grinned widely at the other. _Why the hell am I acting like this? This isn't like me at all! _"You really should've seen your face, Kiba." He cocked his head as the Inuzuka gave him a down-right incredulous and unbelieving look of shock. "Uh… Relax, there's not really a truck."

"I know that, smartass! I-I… I'm just… surprised, is all." Sitting down on his desk's chair, Kiba attempted a laugh, though it was far from relaxed. After all, it was the first time in years that Naruto had pulled a prank on anyone as far as he knew. "Um… this probably sounds weird, but why… did you do that?"

This now startled Naruto, since he himself didn't know why. He shrugged nonetheless. "Dunno. Just… Just felt like it." _It's all that phone bastard's fault. Ever since I first talked to that guy, all this stuff is happening. Uchiha-bastard is at fault too. Can't think of a reason why right now, but it's definitely his fault too._

"Okay…" Kiba felt all but happy now, instead feeling awkward and starting to worry. He hoped that what had just happened was because of Naruto beginning to trust him, remembering their past bond unconsciously and opening up to him. If the opposite was the case and he had only coaxed out a part of the real Naruto hidden in his mind, then the exact thing was the case that Kiba had desperately hoped to _never_ be the case. It would mean that Naruto actually had a split personality. Seeing how things were now, Kiba painfully realized that the latter seemed the most likely now. "Let's go to sleep." Trailing towards the bed, Kiba collapsed onto the sheets beside Naruto face-first. He released a silent sigh and hoped things would turn out well. Turning over and onto his back, the brunet found Akamaru standing beside the bed and glaring at him. "Sorry, Akamaru," Kiba mumbled with an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't mind Naruto sleeping on your place."

The dog huffed, but settled down on the carpeted floor anyway.

As Kiba turned his head to look at the blond beside him, he was faced with a curious glance. "What?"

"Why do you have this big-ass bed anyway?" Naruto asked this, seeing how there could easily be four people lying on the bed and still have space.

Only now the brown-haired teen noticed how content he felt just lying beside Naruto, who wasn't cursing him for his concern like he had the past years. "My mom insisted on getting this huge bed randomly. Dunno why, she just said Akamaru got so big and since he always sleeps in my bed, she thought I needed a bigger bed. Though I never realized that Akamaru got so big."

Lying on his back, Naruto turned over onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, blue eyes on Kiba all the time. The brunet looked back at him curiously, but stayed silent and waited, knowing the blond wanted to ask him something else. Naruto tightly curled his fingers into the sheets, clenching his hands into fists. He bit his bottom lip nervously, feeling his courage drain at the prospect of what he was about to ask. "C-Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yeah." The brunet watched as the blond hesitated, then suddenly closed the gap between their faces, connecting their lips. Eyes wide in shock, it took Kiba a few seconds until he realized what was going on. When he did, he grabbed Naruto's shoulders and pushed him away, sitting up. "What was that about?"

Naruto sat up as well, kneeling on a spot next to the Inuzuka. "Uh… I-I…"

"What?" It took all of Kiba's self-restraint not to yell at the blond. This night, he found himself on a roller-coaster of emotions with curves of excitement and rises of content, as well as downfalls filled with worry and shock.

Fiddling around with the hem of his borrowed shirt, Naruto tried to explain the mess in his head. "Please, just… just…" Cerulean eyes restlessly darted around the bed sheets, avoiding contact with the heated dark eyes of Kiba. "Please do me this favor. I beg you."

"What… What do you mean?" Wanting to back away, but not wanting to hurt the other, Kiba was frozen in place, rigid. Again, Naruto advanced on him with lightning-speed, locking their lips. Now that Kiba was aware of what was happening, he wasn't sure of what to do. He definitely didn't want to hurt the blond's feelings, so he allowed Naruto to do as he liked, but he also didn't respond to the kiss. Kiba was genuinely surprised by the eagerness the blond showed and felt simply overwhelmed. Only when a hand suddenly grabbed his crotch, he pushed Naruto away again.

Both were breathing heavily as they stared each other down. Kiba with incredulous shock in his questioning eyes and Naruto wearing nothing but a pleading look on his face.

"What do you want?" Kiba asked again, shaking his head slightly, still startled. Remorse began to eat away at his shock and upcoming frustration as he noticed tears beginning to collect in those cerulean eyes. He didn't resist as Naruto crawled over to him, straddling him and cupping his face, foreheads touching. Distress crossed his features as a sniff reached Kiba's ears.

"Please, I beg you. I need to find something out, so please… _please _do this for me. I'll never ask anything from you again, I promise. Just…" Again, Naruto started to kiss Kiba, hoping he wouldn't be pushed off again. He wouldn't be able to take it another time. "You want to help me, don't you?" the blond inquired as he pulled away, lips hovering closely to the brunet's as he talked. "I'd be eternally thankful to you if you'd do this for me." A single tear rolling down his cheeks, he desperately pressed his lips to Kiba's again, hoping for a response.

_I need to find out how it feels like if…_

Naruto got his response.

Sighing inwardly, Kiba kissed the blonde back, hesitantly letting his tongue lap out and settling his hands on Naruto's hips. When the blond literally sucked in his tongue, the brunet had to withhold a gasp. He then pulled back, gently grabbing Naruto's shoulders. He gave the other a reassuring smile as Naruto began to panic. Instead of pushing the blond away, Kiba flipped them both over so that he was on top of Naruto.

With a smile, Naruto wrapped his arms around Kiba's neck, pulling him close. "Thanks," he whispered with the hint of a smile.

* * *

><p>In the dark room, Naruto groaned as Kiba bucked into him, his heated skin tingling with pleasure. He released a final, much louder moan as he climaxed into his boxers.<p>

The panting Inuzuka pulled away, glancing down at the sweating and heavily breathing Naruto. "Done?" The other stared up at him for a while, contemplating.

With a remorseful look, Naruto shook his head. "Would you go on?"

"Naruto, I really don't know what I should do," the brunet replied anxiously. "I mean, I never…" He trailed off, staring down at the teen beneath him, eyeing the flushed features closely. "Have _you_ ever…"

Silence.

"Naruto?" Beginning to worry, Kiba absently stroked the whisker marks on one of Naruto's cheeks.

"I have," Naruto replied hesitantly. "That's why I need to find something out."

Kiba stared at Naruto for a while, hoping something in the blond's request would waver. No such thing happened though and so the Inuzuka resigned. "Okay… um…" A zipping noise startled him, as Naruto pulled down the zipper of Kiba's pants. "Okay," he mumbled, reaching down to pull off the other male's boxers. He did this trying to avoid certain parts, but knowing he would come in contact with _those_ parts sooner or later. "D-Do I need to do something before… before…"

Naruto grabbed one of the brunet's hands and brought it to his lips, engulfing two fingers with his hot mouth and wetting them with his tongue. A slick noise resounded as he released the other's fingers again, the blond sending a look at the other.

The taller of the two nodded, somewhat getting what Naruto was implying. Beyond nervous, Kiba reached down towards the other's backside. He clenched his eyes shut as he plunged one finger right into Naruto, not wanting to beat around the bush for too long. The loud groan he elicited from the blond sent a tingling sensation down his spine, a sensation that shot right into his groin. He went on, pushing in another wetted finger and for the first time actually feeling the tight heat engulfing his fingers, grasping as if trying to pull him in further. Just imagining what would soon replace those fingers, Kiba felt himself getting excited, even though the whole situation was still awkward and embarrassing for him.

"Kiba…" Naruto gasped out, making the brown-haired teen cringe.

Feeling his member growing to full attention, an embarrassed Kiba buried his face in the crook of Naruto's neck, barely holding back a feral moan of his own. Slowly, the upcoming pleasure was pushing any doubts from his mind. Unable to wait any longer, the brunet removed his fingers and placed his tip at Naruto's entrance. He carefully pushed in, wary not to go too fast or too hard. His breathing became ragged and he was panting with the effort of holding back. "N-Naru–"

"Go on," the blond breathlessly cut in, wanting blissful release more than anything at that moment, for once being fortunate about being stretched like that on almost a daily basis. The pain wasn't as severe, since he was used to worse. And though he was still a bit sore from the encounter with Deidara, he still started to feel some pleasure building up.

"'Kay." Kiba released a growl as he pulled out of the blond, only to push back in with a moan. No masturbating he had done before compared to the tight heat that was surrounding his cock now, squeezing him from all sides and stealing his sanity with the intense pleasure. He kept pulling out and slamming back in, feeling Naruto's member being pressed tightly between them, hearing Naruto's moans, but soon being unable to discern his own from the blond's.

The sound of skin slapping against skin, moans of pleasure and groans of bliss filled the room, growing louder, more feral and needier with each moment passing. All until both teens released a simultaneous shout of blissful release, collapsing onto the bed sheets and each other.

Rolling off of Naruto, Kiba wrinkled his noise as he caught a brief whiff of the scent of the sticky substance covering his abdomen now. "I didn't think this would be so messy," he mumbled out tiredly.

The blond beside him only "Hm"ed in response, eyes shut, the teen beginning to drift off into the realms of sleep. "Hey…"

"Huh?"

A small, yet genuine smile formed on Naruto's face. "Thanks, Kiba."

* * *

><p>Before any of you go ape-shit on me: KibaxNaru won't be an actual pairing in this story. I'm sorry to any of you that don't necessarily like this pairing, but this entire chapter is essential for later interaction, especially between Naruto and Sasuke. KibaxNaru is my second favorite pairing in Naruto and I just <em>had<em> to get some of that in here, otherwise I would've gone insane and you guys wouldn't want that, would you?

And something else: I'd really like not to hear anything about _"Naruto is constantly being raped and abused! How can he be so eager to have sex with someone?"_. It will be explained later in the story or maybe you are perhaps clever enough to figure out the reasons already. It's an important aspect of the story that needs to be there for the sake of the plot.

Something I just realized from looking at my trusty notebook containing the entire outline of this story: _Man_, things are gonna pick up from here.

That being said, I hope you all look forward to some slight KibaxNaru fluff in the following chapter and of course certain someones being furious with Kiba.

Next chapter: Need a Ride?

– Murasaki B


	13. Need a Ride?

Salve!

Now that I'm done boasting with my Latin skills… I don't know what to say. I doubt anyone is actually interested in my personal life right now, so there's nothing I can tell you besides…

Enjoy the chapter!

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XIII<span>  
><span>– Need a Ride? –<span>

Stray rays of the sun sneaked through the slightly parted curtains, effectively waking the sleeping brunet out of his slumber. Animalistic eyes opened, only to be stabbed by the bright rays, then closing again. A groan sounded. A hand lifted to cover abused eyes. Another groan and eyes opened once again. "Akamaru, get off me," Kiba groaned out. "Ya know I get mornin' wood easily." Instead of white fur though, the Inuzuka caught sight of blond hair. "What the hell?" A warm head rested on his chest, appendages lazily wrapped around his waist and legs. Kiba lifted himself up on his elbows and peered down at the head on his chest. _Naruto?_

The blond shifted a little in his sleep, a frown on his face. One would expect that no matter how angry or emotionless a person was, while sleeping, anyone would look peaceful. But Naruto seemed troubled even in his sleep.

Beginning to panic, Kiba glanced around his semi-dark room until his eyes landed on his clock. It read 06:28, meaning the teens would have had to get up soon. The brunet harshly fell back down onto the bed again and regretted that action once the blond sleeping on him began to stir.

Cerulean eyes blinked open and seemed confused at first. Naruto slowly woke up, but went rigid as he felt the body beneath him.

Kiba could only watch in confusion as the blond suddenly shot up and tumbled down from the bed, landing on the floor. Naruto scrambled around until his back hit a wall. He wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled them close to his chest, looking like a startled and frightened animal. He warily glanced up to see the person he had been lying on. Just then, light shone through a window and blinded him, making him unable to see the face belonging to the bare-chested person staring down at him. His mind though gave the person a face on it's own. _No, please not him._

Carefully, Kiba got up from his bed and approached the other teen. "Naruto?" He cringed as he heard the small sobs the blond emitted. "Come on, tell me what's up." His mind didn't even register the fact that both of them were half-naked, Naruto clad in nothing more than a shirt.

The sound of someone walking down the corridor outside the room suddenly sounded, making Kiba growl.

"Naruto," he muttered, kneeling down close to the blond. "I need you to calm down now, okay?" He felt helpless. Nothing he did seemed to help. And the steps kept growing louder. "_Naruto_…" In a desperate attempt of getting the other to calm down, Kiba grabbed Naruto's shoulder and lightly shook it, trying to remember what Sasuke had done a while earlier.

He couldn't remember.

Knocks on the door.

_"Kiba?"_ a voice from outside echoed. _"Is everything all right in there?"_

_At least he stopped crying, _the brunet reassured himself. "Yeah", Kiba replied, turning his head to the door. "Nothing's wrong, mom." Worriedly glancing back down at Naruto, the teen found the other moving to look up at him, as the steps outside the room retreated.

Glancing back up after having buried his face in his knees, Naruto finally recognized the other properly. "Inu… K-Kiba?"

"Yup." The brunet reassuringly smiled at the blue-eyed teen. "So… what's up?"

"Sorry, I just… just… overreacted a bit," Naruto replied, staring down at the floor.

Kiba sighed as he gave the blond a once-over. Naruto was still shaking and kept avoiding his eyes, only nurturing Kiba's doubts about everything they had done.

Naruto then wiped over his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry that I forced myself on you like that," he mumbled, barely loud enough for Kiba to hear.

"Not at all!" the brunet retorted as he waved his hands. "I mean… I uh… don't mind." Again, he sighed. He hadn't been expecting Naruto to start shitting rainbows and throw up candy, but he would have been happy without the morning drama. "Come on, let's take a shower and then go grab something to eat. I think both of us won't get any more sleep for now anyway."

Naruto only nodded and let himself be helped up by the brunet.

_Is it good or bad that all this happened?_

* * *

><p>Freshly showered, after Kiba had been done in the bathroom, and clad in his own washed clothes from the day earlier, Naruto walked down the stairs to where Kiba was probably already eating in the kitchen. His bare feet against the stairs created a soft noise as he dragged his still tired body downstairs. The ache in his backside was dull, close to nothing compared to the unbearable pain his father usually inflicted on him. Once in the kitchen, the blond noticed a newspaper laying on a counter with the headline<em> "Brutally mutilated corpses found in ponds and lakes! Police suspects the same person to have committed the two murders!".<em>

"Morning," Naruto mumbled as he rubbed his eyes, even though it wasn't the first time he saw Kiba that day.

The brunet sitting at the kitchen table looked up from his bowl of cereal, milk dripping from the corners of his mouth. He gulped down whatever was in his mouth to reply. "G'Mornin'!" he barked out around a still half-full mouth of cereal, gulping another time and messily wiping over his mouth with the back of his hand. "Grab some cereal from the shelf over there." Kiba motioned over his shoulder to a shelf with his thumb. "Milk's in the fridge."

Naruto nodded silently and went over to where Kiba had said the cereal was, then took out the box and a bowl that was already waiting on the counter.

Kiba only heard the blond taking something from the fridge. What it was that Naruto poured into his bowl the brunet only saw as the other sat down in front of him.

"Where's the rest?" Naruto inquired casually, as if Kiba wasn't giving him the most weirded out look ever.

It took the Inuzuka a while until he registered the question. "Uh… My mom's gone off to work and my sis just left for school early."

Silence.

Seeing how the other teen acted as if nothing was wrong, casually eating his cereal, the brunet spoke up again. "Naruto?"

The blond didn't even so much as glance up to meet the Inuzuka's eyes. "Yeah?"

More silence.

Kiba kept weirdly glaring at the bowl the other was eating from. "Why're you eating oatmeal with coke?"

For a short moment, Naruto peered down at his bowl and tilted his head. His head slowly snapped back up to face Kiba and his face was unchanging. "Hn." And another spoon of coke-soaked cereal entered his mouth.

_I'm starting to think that he's actually… not as okay as I thought he was, _Kiba mused, eating his own cereal but peering down as Akamaru entered the room to munch on his own food.

Naruto noticed the look in the other's eyes as he kept staring down at the bowl with the dog food. "Don't tell me you're actually interested Akamaru's food and are only pretending to like cereals to not seem weird."

In the course of seconds, all color drained from Kiba's face. "Uh…"

"I never said anything," the blond mumbled under his breath in return. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he actually threw his spoon into some unknown corner of the room in surprise. "Holy hell! I don't have any of my stuff with me! How am I supposed to go to school like this?"

"Don't worry," Kiba cut in as Naruto started to frantically pull at his hair. "I called Sakura when you were showering earlier. She's gonna pick up your stuff and give it to you when we get to school."

A relieved sigh left the now somewhat relaxed blue-eyed teen as he slumped in his seat. "Thanks, man." Thoughts of what-if's concerning his father were thrown out of the window.

At this Kiba beamed, even though Naruto couldn't quite see for his head hung over the back of the chair. "No problem at all."

* * *

><p>The way to school passed quickly as well as the encounter with Sakura where the girl gave Naruto his things for school. Even though the girl kept trying to ask Kiba about what was going on when Naruto couldn't hear, the brunet kept his mouth shut and told her to wait until later. The first two periods he noticed how he felt like he had to keep an eye on Naruto, now more than ever. During math, their first period, Kiba sat beside the other, but in second period, philosophy, he was forced to sit in his usual place. Chiriku never faltered to have everyone sit accordingly to the seating arrangements. When the bell chimed and announced the first break, Kiba sighed in relief and hurried to get to Naruto. He knew the confrontation with the others wasn't far away now, seeing how he had merely suspended Sakura earlier and she had probably told a few people already.<p>

"Naruto," Kiba spoke up, turning to the other male beside him. "I'm kinda worried about that injury. We should have Tsunade-sama look at it."

Usually, Naruto would have refused. But for a while now, he had been doing things he usually would never do. "Fine."

Both teens then headed for the nurse's office. When they arrived and slid open the door to the small room, they didn't find a blond head and instead someone else.

"Shizune-san, would you mind looking at Naruto's wound?" Kiba tried his best to seem normal in order to not have Naruto catch up to what he was doing, which was getting rid of the blond for the time he would talk to the others.

The dark-haired woman nodded with a small smile, beckoning Naruto over. "It won't take long, I promise. Now sit down." Once the teen was seated on the bed, Shizune began to examine him.

"I'm gonna go for a while," Kiba announced. "I'll get you once I'm finished." He only waited until Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, then left and slid the door to the nurse's office shut. In a quick pace, he rushed down the corridors and slipped by the many bodies in his way until he reached the outside and the benches where most of his friends were already waiting. He flopped down onto one of the wooden benches as soon as he got there, aware of the curious looks being sent his way.

"Kiba-kun."

"Um… what, Sakura?" Kiba couldn't tell if Sakura's tone was threatening or merely curious.

"Care to tell us why Naruto slept over at your place?"

The Inuzuka finally took some time to see who was there. He could make out the faces of pretty much everyone, including Sasuke, who was right in front of him, and except for Lee – he was the hall monitor after all – and Tenten. He sighed once he had gotten a look of the same features of curiosity mixed with worry and anxiety on everyone's features. "It just… kinda happened." The curious faces remained, silent. "I was walking Akamaru yesterday when Akamaru suddenly led me into this alley where I found Naruto. I guess he was being followed by some thugs. He was pretty shaken and his injury also opened again. I got him out of there and it was so late we decided that he'd sleep over at my place."

The silent Sakura only blinked for a while, before she composed herself, straightening up. "And… he just… allowed it like that?" Closely listening people could hear the rising frustration in her voice. The very thing she had been trying to ask of Naruto, having him sleep over at her place, had caused a brawl between her and her _best _friend.

Kiba nodded, knowing no words he said would comfort the pink-haired girl the way she needed it. "Though I'm not sure if he's gotten any better," he continued. "Sure, he didn't glare at me and told me to fuck off like he usually does and he actually acted civil, but he's still far away from being the way he used to be." A bitter smile curled the brunet's lips as he recalled a memory from the night before. "He actually pulled a prank on me. Scared me shitless. He even smiled a few times. But he wasn't… obnoxiously loud like he used to be. He never grinned the way he used to. And he didn't… demand for ramen when we ate breakfast the way he used to. He actually…" At this, a frown furrowed Kiba's brows. "He actually ate his oatmeal with coke. Frickin' coke, can you believe that?" He attempted a small laugh to ease the tension, but failed miserably.

No one was able to read Shikamaru's expression, since his lowered face was hidden behind his folded hands, arms propped up on the table. "When's his first appointment with Kurenai-sensei?"

"Today," Sakura replied, still looking shaken up and nervously biting around on her lower lip.

"Are you sure he's actually gonna go?" Ino threw in with poorly hidden doubt in her voice.

"I hope so." It was one of the rare times in which the usually ingenious Shikamaru couldn't give a certain answer. Doubt began to slowly cloud even his mind. "If Naruto has made any progress, I can't really tell now. Even though he apparently acts more social now, he hasn't shown any signs of remembering these past years." Exasperatedly, the brunet rubbed his closed eyes.

All the while, Hinata and Shino both stayed silent, only glancing at whoever was talking at the moment.

Throughout the entire exchange, Neji's eyes were fixed on the brunet on the other side of the bench, Kiba. The other brunet kept glancing away whenever someone looked at him and he also clenched his jaw all the time, fidgeting around nervously. "Is there something you're not telling us, Inuzuka-kun?"

"What?" Kiba perked up in his seat and let his nervous gaze shift to the gray-eyed teen. He was only met with an indifferent glare, Neji waiting for him to answer properly. Sighing, the shaggy-haired male held Neji's gaze instead of looking away. "I'm not hiding anything."

Neji didn't miss how the other shrugged one shoulder as he said this, the words seeming spoken too slowly from the usually slightly fast talking Kiba. "You're lying. Tell us the truth."

A bright blush bloomed on Kiba's momentarily surprised face as his eyes lowered to stare at the wooden table top. "I… That…"

"Sheesh," Ino cut in, "you act as if you two fucked like rabbits last night or something." She awkwardly laughed out loudly, but went silent as the brunet didn't deny that assumption right-away like he was supposed to. "Oh. My…" She paused, unable to find any words to describe her surprise. "You actually _slept_ with _Naruto_?"

Collective looks of startled shock and incredulity settled on everyone's faces. Some more hidden than others.

And for the first time that day, Sasuke decided to speak up, glaring bloody murder at Kiba even with that expressionless face of his. "That's not true, is it?"

Unable to decide how to come up with a way to talk his way out, Kiba wanted the ground beneath his feet to just swallow him whole. "Um…"

"Kiba!" a certain pink-haired girl suddenly screeched. "I never knew you… you…"

"Swung that way?" Ino finished.

"I don't… _swing that way_!" Kiba retorted, still blushing madly.

All Shikamaru could do was shake his head, finally lifting his face from his folded hands. "Then why did you do it? I doubt Naruto just up and threw himself at you."

"He did… actually."

Now even Shikamaru couldn't stop his eyes from widening. "What?"

Resigning himself to having to tell the truth, the Inuzuka sighed, slumping together a bit in his seat. "He…" Everyone waited for him to explain himself, but his mouth hung open without any words passing his lips. Gears were turning in his mind, his brain trying to work out what to say, but failing. "I can't tell you," he finally mumbled after a small eternity. "I don't think he'd want me to tell you. If anything, he'd have to tell you himself."

"For how long has this been going on?" Shikamaru inquired, his features set in his usual casual look.

"Huh?"

"You and Naruto."

At this, Kiba turned his head away, growing frustrated with the interrogation. "Nothing has been going on. _At all_."

Shikamaru's tone quickly grew accusing. "Then why did you–"

Suddenly, the Inuzuka sat up from the bench and slammed his hands onto the table, scowling at Shikamaru. "I don't need to justify myself! What happened, happened! I can't change it now! And you know what? I don't regret any of it!" Kiba didn't look back as he stormed away, never seeing the looks on his friends' faces. He headed towards the nurse's office where Naruto was probably waiting or still being examined by Shizune. The corridor inside the school Kiba was walking along was bustling with students, pushing past each other, having heated conversations. Peering into classrooms, one could see more people eating lunch.

Kiba didn't even get close to the nurse's office before a hand suddenly harshly grabbed his arm and dragged him into a vacant room. Once he was inside, a door shut closed behind him and Sasuke suddenly stood in front of him. "What's your problem?" On the outside, the brunet seemed calm and collected, but his slightly wavering voice was a dead-giveaway for his fear and antsiness.

"What is up with you and Naruto?" Sasuke snarled at the other.

Shrugging, Kiba tried to keep his voice from sounding nervous as he replied. "What's it to you?"

"None of your business, so answer," the raven bit out.

"Then what's up with me and Naruto is none of your business either."

The scowl on the raven-haired teen's face deepened. "Just answer the damn question or I swear I'll–"

"Listen, I think I know what you're trying to do," Kiba barked, feeling his earlier fear of the other going down the damn drain. "I'll just let you know that it won't work. Don't act as if you know Naruto and have any right of being angry at _me_, cause you don't! You weren't there when he started to change! You weren't there when all of us tried to get him back! You weren't there when Naruto fucking _needed_ you! So don't come back thinking you have _any_ right of _claiming_ Naruto or something! If you keep acting like a bastard, I won't hesitate to be the one Naruto needs! I don't _care_ what kind freaking special bond you two have! I've been there this entire time and I'll stay until the end, wether you like it or not." Pausing, the brunet waited for any kind of response. He didn't get any. "Got that?"

Sasuke's nose scrunched up indiscernibly, though his face remained unchanging otherwise. "Hn." With that, he stalked off, leaving behind a still fuming Kiba.

A sigh of relief tore from Kiba's mouth and he let his head fall back against a wall. "That just now came out totally wrong. Damn, what the hell did I get myself into?"

* * *

><p>The rest of the day went by without any exciting events. Teachers drawled on about their oh-so-important subjects and students endured the drawling until the last bell of the day chimed for some of them.<p>

Knowing Naruto would be gone if Kiba didn't hurry, the Inuzuka rushed out of the classroom before the blond would leave, Naruto often being one of the first to go. They still needed to _talk._ Kiba had to make sure the younger male would actually go to his therapeutic appointment with Kurenai anyway. That was the reason for Kiba to run downstairs in a hurry, his teacher having held him back for a moment to remind him of some once forgotten homework he needed to show, so the brunet had to hurry as to not miss the blond. He burst through the front doors and could faintly make out a shock of bright blond hair in the distance. He dashed towards that very head, only to stop as he spotted another head on the sidewalk outside school. A pink one.

Sakura was talking to Naruto, arms crossed and unable to keep her eyes on the blond, always letting it slide to the side or the ground. As Kiba approached them, she lifted her head, both her and Naruto just having shared an awkward silence.

"Hey, um… Naruto" Kiba started, scratching the back of his head. "I just wanted to ask when exactly your appointment with Kurenai-sensei is."

The blond peered up to the school's large clock placed on the front's top center. "In about an hour."

Kiba already opened his mouth to ask something else, but was interrupted as a sleek black car with tinted windows suddenly pulled up right beside the small group of teens.

They curiously stared at the car that now stood only a mere two metres away from them, wondering if the person inside was waiting for a student to arrive. Then one of the windows slid open, revealing a young, brown-haired man wearing sunglasses inside.

"Why hello there, Sexy," he purred, his eyes, though hidden behind dark sunglasses, definitely fixed on Naruto. "Need a ride?"

Arms crossed over his chest, the blond at first awkwardly glared at the man in the car, before his face became unreadable. "Dunno. Do I?" He stepped closer to the car until he was only a foot-length away.

"You sure do."

All of a sudden, hands shot out of the car and grabbed Naruto around the waist. They pulled the teen into the car with ease, head-first with his legs dangling out of the window and then instantly being dragged in as well, letting the blond disappear.

Tires screeched as the man drove off, a cloud of dust ascending from the road as the car raced away and around a corner, out of sight.

Kiba and Sakura both had stepped forward to help, but were too late, so now they were just standing there, staring into the direction the car had just driven off to.

Pondering wether or not to call the police, Kiba began to panic. "W-Was Naruto just kidnapped?"

* * *

><p>One hint: The person in the car is not an OC. Gosh, I'm so evil. And I love it!<p>

I just remembered how I used to pour juice into my oatmeal when I was younger. The reason: I wanted to cool it down. It tasted kinda funky and I have no idea why I even started doing it. Nowadays, I wouldn't dare eat oatmeal like that, mainly because I hardly ever eat oatmeal now.

So… I guess you'll see the next chapter in a week.

Next chapter: Orange of Doom

– Murasaki B


	14. Orange of Doom

Gosh, I recently read through some of my older stories and man, was I annoying in my author's notes. And I mean reeeeeally annoying.

I haven't gotten any request from **Mina Hikari**. That's why I'll give the One Shot to **TwistedKitsune** instead. I'd like to get that request via PM and it would be good if it could be something related to Naruto or if anything -Man, Ao no Exorcist or Reborn. I'll only struggle with anything else, since there are series I like but haven't watched or read in a long time. I'm nearly done with **AlchemyGaara**'s One Shot and I hope I can upload it tomorrow.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XIV<span>  
><span>– Orange of Doom –<span>

"Shikamaru!"

"Shikamaru-kun!"

Sakura and Kiba were yelling at the same time, running down the empty school corridor and skidding to a screeching halt in front of the computer room. They ripped open the door, effectively scaring the occupants of the semi-dark and stuffy room shitless and causing them to tumble to the ground in shock. Except for one of them.

Shikamaru was merely woken from his slumber on one of the desks as the two yelling teens came stumbling into the room. "What now?" he questioned sleepily as he rubbed his eyes and got up from the desk to stand.

"Naruto was kidnapped!" Kiba yelled, not processing that the other was right in front of him and could hear him just fine. Of course he didn't care about the other's ears, seeing how frazzled he was.

Shikamaru put one hand onto his right ear, signaling Kiba just how obnoxiously loud he was being. "Calm down first," he drawled lazily. "What exactly happened?"

Not even waiting a second, Sakura piped up. "Some shady guy popped up and took Naruto! He just drove off in his car and we couldn't do anything at all!"

None of what the two said seemed to faze Shikamaru and he remained calm, clicking his tongue as he straightened up a bit more. "License plate number?"

"Um…" Kiba's eyes drifted away in thought, until his look grew sheepish. "I didn't really look. Did you, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head, pressing together her trembling lips.

"And how did the guy look like?" Shikamaru continued.

Again, the Inuzuka took some time remembering. "He had… brown hair and was wearing sunglasses."

A thin brown eyebrow rose. "Anything else? Hair style? Clothing? Nativity?"

"Nothing," the only girl in the room muttered in a low voice, eyes fixed on the floor. "We couldn't see much of him and he disappeared so fast. He was just… gone… so suddenly."

It was becoming harder and harder for Shikamaru to keep up his collected exterior. One of them had to remain calm though. Someone had to be able to keep a logic mind. Otherwise, there was no chance of saving Naruto and he knew that.

"What now?" Kiba trusted the other brunet to come up with some kind of solution, a way to find Naruto, something that would calm his worries.

Loudly releasing a puff of breath through his nose, Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "We don't have any leads other than that a brown-haired guy wearing sunglasses in a black car kidnapped him. Do you at least know anything about the car?"

Kiba had to shake his head in denial. "No. I don't even know if the car was a foreign one or not. There was nothing on it to tell from. I'm not sure if it even had a number plate." The brunet waited for some kind of brainwave on Shikamaru's part, some sudden genius plan to save Naruto, some idea on how to go on.

But nothing came.

Running a hand over his head, Shikamaru sighed in defeat, his expression troubled. "Then all we can do now is to call the police and hope nothing happens to him."

Needless to say, the room went silent with utter shock and worry.

* * *

><p>"I'll wait here."<p>

The blond frowned, glancing outside the window of the passenger seat. "I–"

"Shut up and leave before I shut your cake hole with my dick."

Naruto sighed, giving up on changing the other's mind. "Fine. Asshole." He pushed open the door a little too hard, feeling irritated for having let himself be forced into this. Had he been more firm back then, Sasuke never would have been able to force a promise out of him.

Somehow, Naruto didn't like the thought of breaking a promise.

He crossed the empty street without looking for other cars and headed for the quaint two-story building. It seemed more like a big family house than a therapist's place, surrounded by tall trees and with lush bushes in front of it, blooming flowers painting the ground in many colors. The heavy metal gate screeched loudly as Naruto opened it. Despite the street being right behind his back, the blond felt like he had suddenly arrived in a thick forest and just found the house of some insane goblin with a flower-fetish.

It took the teen a while until he found the flat stones that created a winding path and lead to the front door, since they were partially covered by thick green grass and moss. He had to walk around the house until he finally found the door. As he raised his hand to push the doorbell, he hesitated. He didn't want anyone to poke around his head, to ask him how he _felt_ about every fucking thing. He didn't want some stranger to reveal his secrets and to analyze his behavior, only to come up with some kind of psycho-jargon-shit to explain why he acted the way he did.

All of a sudden, a buzz sounded that signaled the door being free to open now. Frowning a bit, having paranoid thoughts about psychic psychologists, the blond grabbed the handle and pushed open the door, just as the buzzing stopped the next moment. He glanced back and forth between the now opened door and the direction he had just come from, then released a sigh as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Inside, all he saw at first was a narrow corridor with a frameless door arch on the left side, a door on the right side further ahead and another one at the end of the corridor. Different sized framed pictures of flowers lined the walls, some abstract pieces and some still lives, but harmonizing despite the differences. It was… soothing in a way.

As Naruto walked down the corridor and turned into the door arch, he at first saw chairs against the wall to his right, a small stair case to his left and a desk right in front of him. Next to the chairs on the right side and close the desk, there was another door arch and in the adjacent room it lead to he could see other people sitting in chairs, reading magazines or books, staring out of the window with crossed arms, all of them waiting for their turn. Above the chairs right next to him hung a large bulletin board, but before he could eye it closer, the girl behind the desk rose her voice.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, looking up from her documents.

Naruto eyed the girl with a wee bit of suspicion. She couldn't be much older than him and he kept wondering about those red eyes of hers, matching her bright red hair. Her hair style seemed odd, the left side long, combed and straight, while the right side was shorter, unkempt and somewhat spiky. On other people it would have looked like an accident at the barber or at least like an extremely weird case of bed hair, but she somehow pulled it off without looking strange. "Yeah."

The girl pushed her brown glasses further up her nose with her middle finger. "Name?" she questioned sharply

"Uzumaki Naruto," the blond replied reluctantly, expecting the girl to scoff at him and ask him to leave like anyone would. But then he noticed the slight change in her face, the once stern features softening.

She cocked her head, eyebrows furrowing, looking as if she was trying to remember something she had forgotten.

"What?"

Straightening again, the girl smiled as she shook her head. "It's just…" She trailed off, leaning forward on her chair a bit and propping up her chin on one hand. "Do you perhaps know someone called Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Uh… Yeah."

The smile on the other teen's face widened and she typed something into her computer as she averted her gaze again. "Thought I saw you somewhere before." After hitting _Enter_, she got the information she needed and turned her attention back to Naruto, now noticing the frown on his face. "Ask Sasuke about it and tell him you met _Karin_," she answered the unasked question in the blond's face. "Go on in. I'll call you once Kurenai-sensei has time for you."

Nodding with his arms crossed over his chest, Naruto went into the waiting room and settled in one of the chairs, hearing Karin picking up the phone and notifying Kurenai of his arrival behind him. The people that were already there seemed normal enough. No one kept glancing around like a paranoid maniac, no one was talking to themself, no one was cackling evilly. Naruto didn't bother with one of the dusty books or glossy magazines and decided to just sit out his wait. It took about fifteen minutes until he was called and Karin told him to go into the room at the end of the corridor. He made his way there feeling a growing nervousness settle in his stomach, making him feel as if his intestines had just up and ran off like pansies, leaving him void on the inside with only that freezing cold dread floating around.

_Feels like man-eating mutant butterflies_, Naruto decided.

He then stood in front of a white door. Again, he hesitated before opening it, but turned the handle after all in the end.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Kurenai greeted the teen, beckoning him to sit on the chair in front of her desk.

Naruto glanced around the room, trying to find that famed therapist's couch. He sat down unable to find it. "Hello."

"You already know me so we can skip that whole introduction part. So, how was your day?"

The blond couldn't decide what to do with his hands, so he scratched his head and fidgeted around. "Fine."

"Did anything exciting happen at school?"

"Not much," Naruto replied, slowly calming down as he saw the glass door allowing one to see the outside: a garden literally drowned in flowers and bushes dotted with countless different colors. "Our teacher announced some student visiting program where people from other countries come to Konoha."

Kurenai had a pencil in her head, but she seemed more like she was doodling rather than writing down serious notes. "Oh, I heard of that," she piped up, looking up from whatever the hell she was doing with that paper. "It's a program similar to an exchange program, only that none of Konoha's students will leave. The visitors are going to be taken in by other students and also be lead around Konoha by them."

"Yeah… that." The blond couldn't tear his gaze away from the woman's eyes. They were a shade of red, much deeper and more saturated than that of Karin's. With Karin, one could at least speculate that she wore contacts to match her hair, but Kurenai didn't seem like the type of person to do something like that. Her eyes weren't just some red-looking shade of brown, no, they actually _were_ ruby red, a red similar to freshly shed blood.

"And how do you like school in general?" the woman continued.

"Closed," the blond quipped.

The now chuckling red-eyed woman examined Naruto for a while. "Okay then, Naruto." Kurenai lay down the pencil in her hand and folded her hands on top of the desk. "We're going to do something I do with all of my patients on their first appointment. I'll tell you something and you tell me what's it like, all right?" She continued as the boy nodded in confirmation. "_I accept you for who you are_. What is that like?"

Naruto shrugged, staring out into the garden. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?"

"You're a therapist," the blond stated, focusing his eyes on the raven-haired woman in front of him. "You get paid to say that."

"I don't _have_ to say that, Naruto-kun. I said that because I meant it."

A bitter laugh escaped Naruto and he didn't care if it was impossible for him to keep up his civil act from now on. The past days had proven to him that people were catching up to something being wrong either way. Why care now if Kurenai would find out eventually anyway? "I bet you tell that all your self-loathing patients."

The woman remained silent and eyed the blond. Her gaze was probing, but not so much to make someone feel exposed. The way she looked at Naruto was more like trying to see past a dirtied window that had been shut for a long time and over the years had gotten demolished to a point where one would only be able to yank it out with a lot of effort. Either brute force or by buying chemicals to get it to melt. Lazy people are lazy for a reason.

Moments of exploring looks passed before Kurenai spoke up again. "I'm of the generation that experienced first-hand what happened sixteen years ago." This effectively caught Naruto's attention, but he showed no sign of exactly that happening. "People were in a frenzy for weeks. Many moved away with their families, a lot of my friends from back then just left over night. They hadn't even had time to say _Bye_. My family decided to stay and I never heard anything of those that left again."

"What are you trying to do?" Naruto couldn't help but feel suspicious. Where did this come from all of a sudden?

Kurenai leaned back in her seat and rested her arms on the rests of her chair. "Did you know that Iruka's parents were killed by Kyuubi?"

"That's a lie!" Naruto shot up, knocking over his chair with his heated scowl on the unimpressed woman in front of him. "All lies! None of that is true! Kyuubi isn't like that!" By now he was shaking in rage, sick of people still having these lingering memories of horror and always – _always _– connecting them with Kyuubi. "It's people like you that made my life hell!"

"People like me?"

Cerulean eyes became ferocious and filled with pure venom. "People that keep blaming Kyuubi and the only person involved with him, _me._ He can't come to Konoha without expecting _someone_ to call the police. Isn't him not being in prison proof enough that he's fucking _innocent_?" Naruto's volume grew louder and louder, his words filling with pent up anger more and more. "People kept suing him, but _no one_ could _ever_ bring up any real evidence or witnesses! How can people still blame Kyuubi if they don't know a fucking thing about him?"

"Is this why you shut yourself out?"

"No," Naruto replied firmly and without hesitation, picking up the chair, falling back into his seat again and crossing his arms in a defensive way. "I don't care what people think of him _or_ me. But it's because of them that I can't be with Kyuubi and… It's because of them that Kyuubi can't live the life he needs. That's why I hate people."

Kurenai hadn't expected Naruto to come clean like that on the very first appointment. This though seemed more like surface anger, an anger Naruto had been wrapping himself in to explain his own distress with people hating him. She knew that people hated Naruto and associated him with Kyuubi, glaring at him and even beating him up. The day all the horror had started, Kyuubi had first appeared and on that exact day, Naruto had been born. "Don't you think that the reason you hate people is because they judge you because of something that has happened such a long time ago?"

"It's not that simple."

The woman had a feeling that there was way more to Naruto's issues. Kiba and the others had told her about the way the blond acted most of the time. Something like this couldn't possibly explain any of that. Though from what Naruto's _friends_ could gather, she could at least make other guesses. "How is your situation at home?" she continued, changing the topic to get the teen to calm down. Had she kept probing, she might have found out more. This wasn't a police interrogation though. Having Naruto leave the first appointment the way he was would only cause him to stay away and never come for another _talk_ with her again. "You live with your father, don't you? How do you two get along?" She didn't miss the way Naruto's posture changed. He was able to hide it well, that she admitted. Her eyes were hard to deceive though. "You don't get along well, don't you?" Being an experienced therapist, Kurenai was able to make out those small changes in Naruto's facial expression, the way he sat and managed his hands. His eyes narrowed a tad and he slumped just a bit in his seat. He also kept clenching his fists, but not hard enough to let it look forceful. "What does he do?"

"Nothing."

That answer had come too fast. "Tell me the truth. I will find out eventually anyway."

"I can't tell you. Ever."

_Jackpot!_ Kurenai cheered inwardly as she continued to analyze the way Naruto acted. _There we have it._

* * *

><p>Choked coughs filled the driving car, along with loud barks of uncontrollable laughter.<p>

"You damn fuck-monkey!" Naruto yelled, flinging away the thing that had caused so much disgust, bringing him to the verge of puking.

An orange hit the side of the man's face.

"What the hell is this shit?"

"Vinegar," the brunet replied between chuckles and hardly held in laughters.

"Fuck, I hate you sometimes."

"But you still love me!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, asshole." Another series of coughs ripped from Naruto's throat as he wiped his mouth angrily. "Fuck no," he mumbled, opening his window and spitting out onto the street.

"Hey, that counts as littering! I think."

"As if _you_ would know." The one and only Uzumaki Naruto, once known as Konoha's biggest prankster, had been pranked. With a vinegar-injected orange. Naruto dropped back into his seat as he closed his window and looked out the windshield. "I know you're a good-for-nothing ass and all, but damn, go fuck yourself."

"Why don't you tell that someone who cares?"

"Know what?" Naruto quipped, glaring out of the window with crossed arms. "I like to chill out at home and picture you falling to your death."

"And I'd rather masturbate with a .357 magnum to yellow fever porn than spend one more minute with you." This earned him a real sucker punch to the side of his face, courtesy of Naruto. "Love you too."

A small smile crept onto the blond's face, disrupting his previous look of anger. "Where're we going anyway?"

"To a friend's place," the brunet replied, steering the car into a right turn. "I want to keep you away from jizz face as long as possible."

Naruto didn't ask further. He just stared out the window of the passenger seat and watched the passing outside view. Being with this man like this kept his worries and doubts at bay and he was thankful for that.

The sky above their heads darkened and the once white clouds began to turn gray, becoming darker by the minute. Soon, a loud bang of thunder roared, the dazzling light of the blinding lightning following just a second later.

"Where are we?" Naruto questioned, as he eyed their current surroundings. Broken down walls, allowing a free view of the inside of many houses, could be seen here and there. Trash bins were overflowing with garbage, junk littering the sidewalk. Stray cats rushed to hide in cardboard boxes, hiding from the rain. "Come on! How cliché is this?" Then the blond spotted a man sitting in the rain holding a cardboard sign with bold black letters on it. What the sign read Naruto couldn't see, since the message was already messed up by the now pouring rain. "I don't believe it. What's next? A robbery next door?"

From outside the car, the blond then heard a voice.

_"What the hell d'ya think ya doin' with mah booze, hah?" _

An old lady came running down the staircase of her front door, walking stick poised to strike down the hoodie-wearing guy trying to flee from her wrath. She swung her wooden stick around like a pirate would swing his sword. A lowly growled_ Arr, scurvy dog_ and an eyepatch would have made the scene perfect.

"Don't let this shit you," the other chuckled. "It's actually pretty… okay. The people are total kooks though."

Naruto allowed a small chuckle to leave his mouth. "You still haven't told me where we're going."

The car suddenly came a to a screeching halt, causing Naruto's forehead to smack a kiss against the dashboard.

"We're there. Get out." The brunet ripped open the driver's door to get out, walking around the car he had parked pretty much half-way on the street.

Naruto ignored the fact that this current position of the car could cause severe accidents, knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyway. He also exited the car and followed the man as he approached the front door of a comparatively normal-looking house, despite the huge graffiti along the side wall.

Instead of knocking, the brunet kicked the middle of the door, effectively ripping a hole into it.

_"What the hell?" _came a booming voice from the inside. _"That was my fourth door this month! What the hell is your prob–"_ The man that then kicked down his already ruined door went silent as he caught sight of the other man in front of him who had his hands placed casually in his pockets and his right leg still raised from the earlier kick. The bullish-faced man eyed the long and hooded black coat, the dark jeans and red sneakers. "Who the hell are you?"

The brunet put down his foot, removed one hand from his pockets, then took off his sunglasses, allowing the man to see his face. "Been a while."

Naruto could only glance around between the two, wondering who exactly the other man was.

Dark, almost black eyes then lit up with recognition. "Ah! It's you!"

* * *

><p>The description of Kurenai's place is actually from my own memory. I used to have therapist appointments because of my (by now not so severe) ADD. What was really annoying was that my therapists kept phoning people when I was talking. And I think I got some part of what Kurenai said from a short comic, I don't know what comic though anymore.<p>

Lol at the heavy metal gate.

So… if any of you still don't know who the brown-haired guy is… You need to wait until the next chapter. I've put in so many hints, it really doesn't take much to find out. Though I'm also trying to mislead you guys. Actually, with the small hints at the end, you should be able to find out who the other new guy is as well.

Next chapter: My World of Grief

– Murasaki B


	15. My World of Grief

I give up *head-desks*. So the first one to shout _Me wantz zis One Shot!_ in a review (no modifications, just those exact words), _will _get a One Shot. I made it a rule for myself to take requests to get my mind off my main story sometimes, but without a request, I can't really do that.

In case some are wondering how I usually reply to randomness in reviews, for example ones pertaining that funny turn on the word The_rapist_, this is kinda like it:

_Analyst + Therapist = Analrapist…_

_LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL *insert troll face here*_

Yeah… Kinda like that. Just in case someone was wondering what kind of crap I write when I get random reviews. I respond with randomness. So far I have never failed.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XV<span>  
><span>– My World of Grief –<span>

"Fuck-wand, this is–" As the brunet turned to Naruto, he found the blond staring off to the neighbor's house. He as well glanced into the same direction and noticed a little brown-haired girl holding a worn teddy missing an eye standing there and staring back at Naruto. "Something wrong?" he wanted to know from the teen.

Naruto tore his eyes away from the girl and shot the brunet an incredulous look. "That teddy…" He trailed off, looking at the girl again. "It's _evil._"

"Eh?"

"Look at it!" the blond yelled, pointing at the girl.

The brunet wordlessly grabbed Naruto's shoulder and guided him into the other man's house. "Again, _Naruto_, this is Hachibi." He briefly motioned towards the other man's direction as he pried the blond away from the front yard.

The girl still kept staring at them.

"She's creepy," Naruto mumbled, allowing himself to be pulled inside. "And the teddy bear looks like it's saying _I'm a fucking teddy bear and Imma gonna shove my foot up your_–"He then turned around to eye Hachibi. "Uh… hi."

"Yo!" the bullish-faced man replied almost cheerily, though his distaste was obvious. "Now what're _you_ doing here?" He pointed an accusing finger at the brunet beside Naruto, sending him a small glare.

The other man made to grab his hair and began to smirk widely. "Aw, can't I visit an old friend?" He pulled off the brown hair, instead revealing a shock of bright reddish-orange hair standing up in spikes around his head. Long tresses of it were hanging down his back and over his shoulders. Carelessly, he threw the brown wig away into a random corner, ruffling his already messy long hair. "That damn wig was killing me."

"You're still hiding?" Hachibi inquired, crossing his arms.

A growl left the redhead as he walked towards a couch and lazily dropped onto it. "Have to. I don't want blondie to get involved in all this cause of me."

Naruto also let himself fall onto the couch beside the redhead. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"Yeah right."

Hachibi sighed as he as well sat down, though he placed himself opposite to the other two on an old armchair. "Why are you here?"

"Cause of this little bumblefuck here," the redhead chuckled, pointing at Naruto.

Naruto huffed indignantly and defiantly glared at a wall. "Fuckass."

"Ass-dick," the redhead replied.

"Dickbag."

"Bagshit."

"Shitcunt," Naruto spat.

"Cuntslut."

"Slutbag."

"Um…" Hachibi trailed off, waiting until the other two gave him their attention. "I regret having to interrupt your game, but you still haven't answered my question, Kyuubi."

"Yeah, yeah," the redhead waved the other's words off and leaned back on the couch. "Well, this little thundercunt felt lonely and kept whining–"

"I never whined, you asspirate!" Naruto snarled, glaring at Kyuubi who casually picked his ear with his pinkie.

"–so I came over," Kyuubi finished, removing his finger from his ear and eyeing it, before lazily flicking something off of it. "Not like I have any other reason to come."

Hachibi did nothing as he watched Kyuubi slamming his legs onto the coach table and leaving them there, feet still clad in bright red sneakers _slightly_ caked in mud. "And you need to crash at my place."

"Yup." Kyuubi picked up a random ball-pen and started to spin it around in his fingers. "You don't mind, right?"

"As if I have a choice," Hachibi replied almost dejectedly. "You staying too, Naruto?"

Glancing down at his wristwatch, the blond shook his head with a frown. "Can't. My father thinks I'm at soccer practice and soccer practice ends about now. I need to leave."

Kyuubi then hurriedly bid the other man good-bye and forced the teen into his car, saying he still needed to run a few errands anyway and needed someone to carry the heavy bags. Naruto though knew the real reason.

The car was silent as they drove to the younger male's house. When they arrived there about half an hour later, Naruto didn't immediately leave the car. Instead, he glanced sideways at Kyuubi, who had swapped his black coat for a red hoodie and was hiding his obnoxiously red hair beneath the hood.

"You goin' or what?"

Naruto kept staring, then suddenly shot towards the other and wrapped his arms around Kyuubi.

"Get off," the redhead growled out, trying to pry his way out of the blond's hold.

The younger one only tightened his hold. "Don't wanna."

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Kyuubi waited. He waited until Naruto felt satisfied with randomly hugging and being mushy, before finally letting go of him. "Now get lost."

Naruto nodded, opened his door, then slammed it shut once he had exited the car. He watched Kyuubi speeding off and waited until he couldn't see him anymore, then sighed with his shoulders slumping. Suddenly, a jolt ran up his spine as he turned towards his house and caught a glimpse of a form standing at the window. He saw how Mizuki was glaring right at him from inside. "Fuck," the blond muttered, dragging himself to the front door.

He already knew his fate once he would enter the place he called home, but deep down knew was actually his personal hell.

* * *

><p>The sun slowly began to rise and cast a soft orange light over the still partially dormant Konoha. Morning was the only quiet time of the day, since most of the time, the sound of cars and people penetrated the silence.<p>

Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep–

BANG!

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

A hand shot out of the prison of bed sheets again, grabbed the annoying alarm clock and flung it away and against a wall where it crashed into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Silence.

Naruto sighed in content, enjoying the soothing sound of silence.

Beeeeeeeeep… Beeeeeeeeep… Beeeeeeeeep…

"_Goddamit!_" The blond shot out of bed, then, still tangled in his bed sheets, promptly stumbled to the floor. Now the pieces of the blaring alarm clock were in his field of view, just mere metres away, but he couldn't reach them. He growled and fumbled around to free himself. After many curses and useless punches against the white blanket, he stumbled over to the clock, picked them up, walked towards his window, then ripped said window open and threw out the still screeching device. He was panting from all the sudden action and knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now, so he decided to make himself ready for school. The blond didn't even look as he pulled a black shirt and an orange hoodie from his commode, a hoodie that Sakura had once given him as a present. There was no mirror in his room, so he wasn't that aware of the obnoxious orange color he was currently clad in. He also didn't see his split lower lip and the deep purple and red bruises that had developed on the left side of his face, courtesy of Mizuki beating him up the day earlier. There hadn't been a real reason for the beating. Naruto was just glad the man hadn't gone further.

Since it was still early, Mizuki wasn't awake yet and Naruto rushed to get out before he would. He only grabbed an apple and didn't bother with brushing his hair or teeth. On his way out, he grabbed his things and quickly began to devour the green apple. Quietly, he closed the door behind him and made his way to school.

* * *

><p>Naruto was about to arrive at school when he started to wonder why the left side of his face felt so prickly. He gently poked it, but hissed as it stung as if burnt. The skin was tender and hurt when he moved the muscles in his face. He gently dabbed his fingers against his lower lip, finding it tender and crusty.<p>

_Well fuck._

He quickly swept his hood over his head as he arrived at the front gate of the school, quickly walking past Lee who curiously glanced his way. Naruto only pulled the hood further over his face.

A few minutes later, Naruto arrived at his classroom and desperately tried to hide his face before anyone could spot him. It was already too late to go back home and Naruto rather got stressed over people seeing his bruises than taking another of his father's beatings. Dropping into his seat, the blond started to pull out his things as suddenly a face appeared in front of his. A yelp bubbled from Naruto's mouth as he pulled back in surprise. A hand reached out to grab his hood, but he slapped it away. "What the hell, Inuzuka?" He immediately regretted what he had said when Kiba's face saddened. He tried to calm his racing heart and his nerves as he sighed. "Morning, Kiba."

A smile then spread on the brunet's face and his entire face lit up again. "Mornin'" Kiba's features immediately grew excited. "Who was that shady guy yesterday?" he questioned heatedly. "We thought you were kidnapped or something!"

Naruto simply shrugged and waved it off. "Old friend of mine."

Kiba's smile then vanished from his face as quickly as it had come as he caught a glimpse of the blond's face. "What happened to your face?"

Just then Sasuke was standing right beside both teens, glaring down at Naruto.

"What?" Naruto inquired, glaring right back at the raven.

Without a word, Sasuke simply sat down beside Naruto, staring ahead.

The frown on the blond's face became even more frustrated. "Oi, since when–"

"In case you haven't noticed," the Uchiha replied in his smooth and deep voice, not even sparing the blond a single look, "Utakata transferred to a different school, so I'm taking his seat. Name-wise, Utakata comes after me and before you, so the teacher would place us like this anyway, according to our seating arrangements."

Meanwhile, Kiba had sat down in his seat in front of Naruto and was watching the entire thing. Once Sasuke had finished and seeing how the blond didn't reply and simply scowled at the raven, Kiba spoke up again. "So what's up with your face?"

"Nothing," Naruto blurted out somewhat angrily, annoyed how Kiba seemed to not have lost his old habits of worrying about pretty much everything. "It's none of your business."

"But–"

"Just drop it!" It was all Naruto could do not to stomp out of the room in fury and maybe kick something over. For the rest of the lesson, he ignored the way Kiba squared his shoulders the entire time and how the brunet never looked up from his notebook.

It was only homeroom, meaning students either had to clean up the classroom or organize events. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke took part in any of it and they kept to themselves most of the time. When the first lesson and half of the second one – which actually was supposed to be Konoha History but was spent with lazying around – was over, the teacher spoke up to make an announcement.

"Listen, class!" Asuma bellowed loud enough for the entire class to instantly silence. "The exchange students will arrive tomorrow and our class has been assigned to take care of the class from Suna. Each of you will be assigned one student to be a something of a guide for. In order for this to work, I need to get a few documents from you. Just copies of your family registry or, if you weren't born here, the papers that state you're a legal citizen of Konoha." The man then scratched the back of his head as he gazed out of the slightly smudged windows. "I probably should've told you this sooner, shouldn't I?"

Collective angry mutters of agreement then chimed.

Sakura rose her hand as she gave the smoking man an imploring look. "Why do you need our family registries?"

"Just some paper stuff that needs to be done, don't worry about it," the still smoking man waved off. He inwardly sighed as the pink-haired girl once again poked up her hand. "Yes, Haruno-san?"

"Um…" Jade eyes shifted around the man's face, settling on the cancer stick dangling between his lips. "Smoking isn't allowed within the school grounds."

Asuma then allowed himself to release a sigh, only a second later taking a deep swig of his cigarette. After that, he took it from his mouth, putting it out on some random student's desk, then threw it into the trash bin on the other side of the room. "Satisfied?" he inquired with raised brows.

"Yes." Sakura grinned in triumph like the top student she was. This wasn't the first time she had reminded her own homeroom teacher of the school rules. Just then, the bell rang, causing a relieved yet stressed puff of breath to leave Sakura's lungs. As she packed together her things, she turned to see the back rows of seats. With all the commotion and the people in the way, she couldn't see Naruto, but decided to talk to him. Not immediately, but at some point later and definitely today.

Meanwhile, Naruto was already ready to leave, not having pulled much from his bag that he had to put back in. If it weren't for Sasuke stubbornly sitting in his way, he would have been out of there faster than Chouji could say _barbecue_. "You're in the way," he growled dangerously.

Sasuke didn't even shrug or react in any way, just sat there while everyone else was beginning to file out of the room, Asuma being one of the first.

"Oi! I'm talking to you, bastard!"

After a while, the only ones left in the room were Naruto and Sasuke.

"Bastard, what're you–"

"What happened to your face?" the Uchiha cut in all of a sudden.

Naruto sputtered for a moment, backing away as far as he could in his seat. "None of your business."

"I won't ask again."

It seemed like Sasuke wouldn't give up and this time, Naruto wasn't able to just stand up and leave since their tables were made for three people to sit at and he couldn't even crawl through under the table to escape. The gap there was way too narrow, meaning Naruto was utterly trapped. Climbing over the table was his only option, but he didn't want to seem desperate, so he simply scowled at Sasuke and waited for him to budge.

"Tell me," the raven-haired teen demanded again. "I won't leave until you do."

Naruto was careful to keep his head turned towards the front, so that Sasuke couldn't see that the left side of his face was bruised and raw. "I don't know what you're talking about." The hood that had covered most of his head was suddenly ripped away, his chin grabbed and turned towards the other teen.

"I'm talking about these bruises," Sasuke stated calmly as he kept his stern gaze on Naruto's eyes. "Where did these come from?"

_Fuck this!_ Snarling, the blond shot out of his seat and made to crawl over the table, but a hand tugging him back at his hoodie pulled him into his seat again. "Fuck off!"

"Is it sex you want?" Sasuke's voice had gained a heated tone, though he still tried to mask it with indifference as much as he could. His mask cracked just a bit though as Naruto didn't respond at all, glaring at him weirdly. "You threw yourself at Kiba even though you hated him only hours earlier. Did you use him just for the sex? Cause you didn't like him all that much earlier anymore."

The lost look of confusion and anger in those cerulean eyes triggered something within Sasuke, something he didn't even know had been there.

All of a sudden, Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's head, then slammed their lips together. He wasted no time in pushing his tongue into the blond's mouth, briefly wondering about the fact that the other easily complied, but didn't respond. Hands suddenly grabbed Sasuke's shoulders and tried to push him away, but he simply grabbed Naruto's wrists and started to push the blond down onto the bench like the dominating person he was. Overcome by the need to put Naruto into his place, he jerked his hips against the blond's.

He froze as he heard a small whimper. Only now he noticed the wetness against his cheek. As he opened his eyes to peer down at Naruto, he saw the usually bright blue eyes shut tightly, tears leaking out. Sasuke loosened his grip on the other male's wrists as those blue eyes opened to show a silent plea for him to stop, fear having easily pushed away the anger. Sasuke was still hovering above the blond, Naruto lying flat along the bench of their desk. Slowly, he leaned up to give the other more space and kept blankly staring down at Naruto.

Once he had enough space, the blond scrambled up, harshly pushed Sasuke away and climbed over the desk with haste. Grabbing his bag, he dashed from the classroom and down the corridor, rushing past the moving crowds of people. As he wiped away the remains of tears on his face and pulled his hood over his head again, he tried his best to avoid touching anyone, but being in the middle of such a huge mob made it nearly impossible. He could briefly see the front door in the distance and almost felt relieved that he would soon reach it.

Almost.

A hand wrapped around Naruto's arm again, stopping him in his path. The blond spun around, an angered, yet panicked insult on the tip of his tongue, but he remained silent as he didn't see ink-black hair. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of a wary-looking Kiba. "W-What?"

"I need to talk to you," the brunet stated in a clipped tone.

Gently Naruto tried to wriggle his way out of Kiba's hold, but was unsuccessful. He didn't want to cause a scene. "I don't have time."

"We have a break, you know?" Kiba knew the other was simply trying to run away from him and the deepening look of annoyance on the other's face was all too familiar to him. "Look, I just want to know what's going on between…" He motioned between himself and Naruto with his hand. "I'm just confused if we're actually _friends_ now or…"

Fortunately, the mass walking on the corridors had thinned out by now, giving the two boys at least a bit privacy.

Naruto kept his unreadable gaze directed downwards, not looking up at the slightly taller male. "I… don't know what to say to you."

"Do you see me as a friend?" Kiba inquired straight-forwardly, pointedly trying to ignore the bruises on Naruto's face. "What about Sakura? You've been friends with her for _ages_."

Flinching at this, the blond still couldn't really find any words. "I don't really get the concept of _friendship_. All it is to me… It seems so superficial."

"What about… what happened between you and me? What exactly was that?" His voice growing shaky, Kiba never released his firm hold on Naruto's lower arm in order to keep him in place. "You said you wanted to find something out. I'm not asking you to tell me what that was, I only want to know if it actually fucking _meant_ anything to you." The look in the brunet's eyes became thoughtful, distant. "Would you have done it… with any person? I'm… It's… It's just… You were my first, you know?" He locked eyes with the blond then, having noticed how the blond's head had suddenly shot up at his words.

Naruto was silent for a moment. He stared at Kiba, unable to figure out what was going on. It seemed so surreal. All of a sudden, someone was feeling insecure and somewhat _desperate_ because of _him_! The blond opened his mouth to answer, but no words passed his lips. He couldn't take his eyes off of the pleading look on Kiba's face. Somehow, he finally got his vocal chords to work again and he said the first thing that came to his mind. "What we did was never supposed to happen."

Something in Kiba shattered as he watched Naruto tear his arm from his hold and turning his back on him, running away, out of the school building. He just stood there, trying to comprehend what had just transpired.

Meanwhile, Naruto had reached the outside and was eager to finally be away from school. He wouldn't be able to stand just one hour longer in there and he didn't know why. It might have been because of those awkward encounters just now, but all he knew was that he felt suffocated in there. As if an invisible force was breathing down his neck, waiting to clamp around his neck and choke him until any kind of life left his body.

Naruto was about to climb over the fence surrounding the school grounds, when a voice caught his attention.

"Oi, blondie!"

That voice sounded familiar. As he turned his head, Naruto only needed one glance at that bluish-white hair and he knew Suigetsu was the one running into his direction from the other side of the fence, Sai not far behind him.

The crowd of students watched the whole thing, wondering who in the world the freaky white-haired teen with spiky teeth and the pale guy showing off his stomach were. Sakura, Shikamaru and the others as well were sitting at their usual place at one of the outside tables, but remained sitting in order to watch the exchange. Out of mere curiosity or worry, neither of them could really tell.

"Why the _heck_ is this fenced off this way anyway?" Suigetsu questioned once Naruto reached him and Sai.

Starting to climb up the not too tall fence after throwing his bag into the white-haired teen's hands, Naruto only shrugged. "Dunno. There was some incident with a horde of dogs and… I think Kiba was somehow involved in it too."

"Kiba?"

"Dog freak," the blond replied as he dropped down from the fence to land somewhat clumsily beside the other teen.

"C'm 'ere!" Suigetsu yelled the moment Naruto was beside him and safely standing on his own two feet. He pulled the blond close by slinging an arm around his shoulders. Chuckling, he gave Naruto a much too long peck on the lips. As he pulled back to look the blond over though, he finally cared to recognize the large bruises on the other's face. "Your dad hit you again?"

Naruto was still stunned from the kiss, but by now knew that it was Suigetsu's weird way of greeting others. "Uh… um…"

"Bastard," the white-haired male snarled, still holding on to the blond. "Guess me coming to get you was pointless after all. Taishou won't let you work like this." His eyes widened a bit, his face becoming curious as he spotted the person coming their way. "Is that…" He pointed a finger towards the approaching student.

"Huh?" Naruto turned a bit to see to where Suigetsu was motioning towards, but jerked his head away quickly as he saw who it was, his features quickly growing annoyed. "That bastard," he hissed under his breath.

"Sasuke?" Finger still raised and pointing towards the other, Suigetsu watched with a cocked eyebrow as the raven-haired teen came closer, Sai standing beside him passively.

Naruto's head shot around to stare at the white-haired teen in surprise. "You _know_ him?"

"Um…" The look on Suigetsu's usually cheerful face then looked grieving, almost haunted. "We kind of have a history," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

Sasuke kept glancing back and forth between the two teens, after a while settling on looking at Suigetsu. "What brings you here, Suigetsu?"

"Pickin' up Naruto here," the teen replied, jerking a thumb in the blond's direction. "How's it going?"

"Hn."

"What about your brother?"

"Hn."

"And how's it going with your mission of becoming the world's biggest asshole?"

Another "Hn", though accompanied by slightly furrowing eyebrows.

"Oh, I see, it's going_ great_!"

Naruto somehow felt like snickering, but was too mad at Sasuke to let any kind of amusement overcome his anger.

The brunet's eyes finally shifted to Naruto. "We're not done talking yet, dumbass." With that, he turned and left, disappearing into the crowd just seconds later, faint, gushing screeches of joy sounding as he passed by.

"Damn, he still has that funky fan club of his." Suigetsu chuckled, a small smile tugging at his lips.

_Fan club?_ Naruto had never paid enough attention to actually notice the large groups of girls that always seemed to swarm around Sasuke, begging for his attention and pleading for his acknowledgement. Now that he looked, he was actually able to see how skilled the Uchiha was in evading exactly those harpies.

"He seems to care about you," Suigetsu suddenly muttered absent-mindedly. That Naruto didn't react at all caused a small scowl to form on his face. "He seems… dunno… _worried,_ actually. I've never seen him so… bothered about something." From the corner of his eyes he could see Naruto shrugging indifferently. "What the hell's wrong with you? I'd give anything to have at least _one_ person giving a shit about how I'm doing. Sai's the only person keeping me sane! You don't know how much I'd give… How much I'd give to have this many people care about me."

Now this got Naruto reacting, all right. His gaze finally fixed on the other, his eyes wide in mild shock. "How do you–"

"It's obvious with them staring at us from afar, thinking none of us notices." The teen huffed, resting his hands on his hips. "You really don't pay any attention, do you?"

"Why should I? Nothing would change, even if I–"

"Shut up with your self-centered crap, Naruto!" Suigetsu suddenly snarled lowly as to not alarm other students, turning to send the blond the full force of his frustration. "You keep living in your own little miserable world, cryin' over your _misery_ and not caring about others at all. You only keep pitying yourself, drowning yourself in your own grief and sadness, but you know what? Other people have problems too, not just you! And right now, you're being one of those problems for others!" Again, the blond remained showing no reactions and slowly, Suigetsu had had it with the other's stubborn attitude. "You're making yourself miserable, Naruto. If you'd give happiness a chance, you'd have no problems obtaining it. I think you don't even have the slightest idea what some people in your situation would give to have the same opportunities you have."

Unable to argue with the logic in Suigetsu's words, the logic that started to dig roots in his mind in order to bloom full force within him, Naruto turned on his heels and stormed away.

Little did he know that soon his entire world would be turned upside down.

* * *

><p>I'm done with <strong>AlchemyGaara<strong>'s One Shot for Fullmetal Alchemist. In case anyone likes RoyxEd, I'd appreciated it if you read Pull Away. For days I've been waiting in a corner for someone to say it's crap cause honestly, I think it's fine, but I wrote it with little to no planning ahead and just on the spot most of the time. I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it's… awkward. At least to me it feels like that. The structure is just…

Why the hell is no one stopping me when I ramble about something unrelated to _this_ story?

Aaaah… *laughs manically* The next chapter is going to be what my English teacher calls a _turning point._

Next chapter: Keep Running

– Murasaki B


	16. Keep Running

Don't kill me for updating a day late. That would be completely unreasonable. It's just a few hours late, okay? Problem was, my wifi connection cuts off at a certain time cause my mom configured it like that. I ended up succumbing to hunger at eleven in the night and once I noticed time was running out for me, I tried to edit while eating. It didn't work. But I only would have been able to upload a half edited chapter anyway and to me, that's a horrible thought.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XVI<span>  
><span>– Keep Running –<span>

Having run for so long that his lungs felt like they soon would explode inside his heaving chest, Naruto finally decided for an actual destination: the Hokage Tower. Anything concerning important documents and files, the planning of big events, transactions with other countries and such were organized there. The third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen resided in its highest floor, overlooking all of Konoha from his office. It was heavily guarded and usually, people needed an appointment to actually talk to the Hokage. Naruto only needed his family register for that whole exchange student thing though, so there was no need for an actual appointment. At least he hoped so.

It didn't take him long until he reached the tall building. As he entered, he quickly caught sight of the two guards keeping watch on every single person entering and exiting. They shot the student that was supposed to be in school weird glances, but didn't comment on it and let the teen by without problems. He still felt the glares he received from the people already present, both visitors and employees sending their hate towards him with their scathing looks, hoping he would spontaneously combust and die.

Despite the obvious hate directed at him, Naruto made his way to the register station. Three desks with three registrars waited there nicely lined up at a wall with counters separating the clients from the employees. Naruto approached the first desk and waited there until the woman looked up from her documents. Fortunately, she was one of the few people to not recognize him – Konoha was big after all – and gave him a kind smile.

"What can I do for you?" she questioned with a friendly air radiating from her.

The women at the other desks sent the woman incredulous glares, obviously deciding to tell her later on who exactly she was being so nice to.

Naruto had to hold back to not glare at the other two women that had pulled their chairs closer to each other to chat and gossip in hushed voices. "I'd like to get a copy of my family register."

"All right," the registrar replied as she sorted out the things on her desk. "Your family name?"

The blond lowered his bright blue eyes to stare at the table top of the woman's desk, knowing what was to come. "U… Uzumaki."

At those words the woman's eyes widened a bit, but she remained silent. "O-Okay then. I-I'll need your passport or anything confirming your… identity."

His only response a curt nod, the blond pulled out his wallet to quickly snatch his passport from it and put it onto the desk.

The now nervous registrar took the card and as she began to eye it more closely, she pushed her glasses up her nose a bit. "All right. This seems fine. I'll be right back."

She seemed stiff as she got up from her chair and Naruto didn't even try to convince himself that the reason was her probably sitting in that chair for hours. He only waited a few minutes, avoiding the intensifying looks of contempt the other two registrars were sending his way. After what seemed like hours to the blond, his registrar returned from the room behind her, a few documents in her hand.

"The family register consists of two different parts," she began, seeming more collected now. "First, here's your birth certificate." She handed the teen a single sheet of paper that contained his birth name, the date of his birth and the place of his birth. "It mainly consists of basic informations regarding your birth. Things like the names of your parents are here on this…" Suddenly pausing as she looked at the document in her hands for a brief moment, she then hastily handed it to Naruto. "This is your actual family register with the names of your parents and your registered residence among the other informations. It's a more detailed version of your birth certificate."

Naruto nodded in acknowledgement, sifting through the three sheets of paper he now held in his hands. His brows furrowed though as he noticed a mistake in his family register. "Um… There's a mistake here," he stated, showing the woman the paper. "It looks like my father isn't a citizen of Konoha on this paper, but…"

With something akin to pity, the woman shook her head. "It's not a mistake."

Furrowed brows tightened more, forming a frown. "Wha…" Naruto looked more closely at his family register. His eyes wandered to the section _Date of records and causes_. What he saw made his eyes go wide as plates and caused cold sweat to break out on his skin. There, black on white, stood the very date of him being given up for _adoption_, just a day after his birth. "What…" He looked up at the woman.

The registrar sternly stared at the teen for a while, not uttering a single word. Then she turned away to enter the room behind her, the room that probably was the archive that held all those documents. She came back only a few seconds later, having known where to find what she was looking for now. Wordlessly, she handed the blond teen in front of her three more pieces of paper.

Hesitation making him slow to react, Naruto took the dreaded papers from her hands and was faced with the fact that he now held his own adoption papers in his hands. There was the date of his birth, the date of his adoption, the name of the person that had arranged the adoption and…

The name of the person he had thought was his father for so many years.

Naruto frantically shuffled through the documents and back to his family register. The name of his mother he already knew: Uzumaki Kushina. But he didn't dare to look at the other name. Outwardly, Naruto tried his best to hide the tears that oh so badly wanted to escape his suddenly burning eyes. His thoughts were running in endless, frantic circles, heart beating, head spinning, a daze clouding his mind, legs weakening underneath him.

"Please sign here," the registrar demanded in a low voice. Head lowered, she waited until she heard the scribbling of a pen against paper, then the sound of said pen dropping onto her desk.

"Bye" was all Naruto said, before he stuffed the documents into his bag, pulled his hood over his head and quickly marched from the room. He left the building in a hurry, breaking into a run once he was outside.

He wanted to get out as soon as possible, wanted a big stone to hit him square in the face, to have something wake him from this nightmare. He didn't know if he should feel relieved or sad. It was a good thing that Mizuki wasn't his father, that was for sure. But then there was that question: Why had his real father given him up for adoption? He assumed his mother had died on the day he was born, meaning at least his father must have still been there. Was he living somewhere with a different family, living a life without Naruto? Was he happy? Was he perhaps relieved he had given up his son for adoption? Did the reason everyone hated Naruto have to do with his father?

A thunder suddenly roared from the sky above, a bright lightning striking not even a second later. Rain poured from the gray sky, relentlessly pelting down on the unprotected teen. Naruto was soaked to the bone within seconds, but he didn't care, he kept running. Fat droplets of water hit his bruised face, icy gushes of wind biting at the skin of his cheeks, slapping him. The thin orange hoodie that provided only little warmth was being flung around his body by the virulent wind.

And yet he kept running.

He ran so long that he soon didn't even process the movement in his head anymore. His brain went into auto-pilot, his legs moving on their own, only a flurry of contrasting emotions spiraling through his mind. For once, he wasn't numb. He didn't know where to go, what to do, what to think. He didn't know anything and yet too much, more than he wanted. The pangs of hot pain with each step didn't reach his brain, a mix of hormones numbing at least that pain. He could have chopped off his arm and he wouldn't have noticed, just kept running.

All of a sudden, he tripped over his own feet and tumbled to the ground. Water splashed all around him, stirred up by his fall. It was raining so hard that the water was already flowing in streams over the ground. Naruto coughed as he accidentally breathed in a gush of water. He didn't get up for a while and only lifted his head from the ground. Unmoving, he watched how those tiny streams of water flowed between his fingers. It had something mesmerizing about it, something that made it impossible for the blond to look away.

The street was utterly vacant. People had long ago retreated into the safety of their warm and dry homes. Even if anyone had been there, no one would have cared knowing who the boy on the ground was.

After a few minutes – or hours, Naruto couldn't tell – the blond finally sat up and pulled his legs to his chest. He rested his chin on top of his knees and just sat there on the sidewalk, while the freezing rain sent shivers through his body. For how long he stayed there Naruto didn't know. For how long he sat there shivering, freezing, feeling his toes and finger tips going numb, he didn't know. How long it took for the shaking to stop, he didn't know.

His body was starting to shut down. It now concentrated on keeping the vital organs of his body warm, abandoning the rest. The shivers had ceased and Naruto was growing tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. To just lay down and sleep. But he didn't want to stay out in the open like that. It somehow felt uncomfortable. Rising up onto his knees, he tried to make out a place more comfortable. With his blurry sight and through the thick curtain of rain, he was able to make out a group of tall trash cans in a nearby alley. His movements stiff and slow, he crawled towards the alley, almost stumbling a few times on his way. He reached the trash cans with his knees and hands slightly scraped open, the material of his pants ripped where they connected with the wet ground. Naruto settled between the trash cans and curled in on himself as he lay down. His eyes began to droop and he was content to be sleeping soon.

A sudden heat coursed through is body all of a sudden and he felt like he was on fire. His skin felt as if it would melt off any second. Unable to take this heat, Naruto sluggishly pulled off his hoodie and let it fall into the puddle of water forming close to him. He stopped there and simply slumped together, letting sleep pull him into its chasms.

* * *

><p>Three hours earlier, Sasuke was glaring out of the window as it began to rain. He couldn't even see the fence surrounding the school grounds through the thick curtain of water anymore. Once his art teacher finished the lesson and dismissed his students, Sasuke casually gathered his things, slung his bag over his shoulder and left with his hands shoved into his pockets. His steps were rushed as he already heard the familiar squeals behind him, the usual group of fangirls approaching him. The image of blue eyes and blond hair kept nagging him from the back of his mind. He kept wondering what the blond's relationship with Suigetsu was. It surely wasn't that easy to cross paths with the white-haired Houzuki offspring along with Sai of all people. Sasuke had an idea of what those two were occupying their time with, especially that it involved quite a few shady guys. Then there had been that kiss.<p>

When he had kissed Naruto, he had explained the other's reaction with the abuse he had to deal with and the suddenness of how he had approached the blond, but Naruto had only been mildly startled by Suigetsu's kiss, which in return irked the Uchiha. He still somewhat regretted having gone so far, having let that need to prove his dominance over the other take him over so much, he really did. Never before he had submitted to anything even close to lust. Not like that. Now he had to set things straight, otherwise he would get an earful from Sakura, Kiba and probably Ino. The others would join at some point. His only problem was that he didn't know if Naruto still lived at the address Sasuke knew nor what he would be doing after school, so he decided to confront the blond on some other day in school.

Easily avoiding the roaming girls that were after him, he left the school building in his usual casual stroll. He decided to stop by a mall to buy some groceries. The teen didn't eat huge amounts of food, so it was enough to go grocery-shopping every once a week or so. Actually, he only went once his fridge was nothing more than a cold mechanical void. After twenty minutes on the rather empty bus, the brunet found himself in front of his usual grocery store. He filed through the different shelfs full of instant food, which he pointedly ignored, and headed straight for the shelf that held rice. He bought his usual two bags of rice, then went on to also put tomatoes into his basket, as well as a bag of dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna. With those ingredients he planned to make the thing he was capable of making perfectly: rice balls. As he searched for a few other things to buy, he noticed a pair of boys his age chatting excitedly a few metres ahead of him.

"Dude, I think he was actually dead!" one of them, a boy with spiky brown hair, muttered heatedly, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

"How'd you know?" The other brown-haired teen had slightly darker hair than the other, his hair cut short with two long bangs that reached his chin framing his face. "You felt his pulse or what?"

The spiky-haired teen waved at the other in a dismissing way. "Nah, but I kicked him a bit to see if he'd wake up. Didn't move. He was pretty soaked and pale as a sheet. Definitely knocked out."

"Did you know him?"

The other shook his head. "Uh uh. But there aren't a lot of blond people our age in Konoha. Couldn't see his eyes, but I'd guess they're green or blue."

"And you didn't call an ambulance or something? Where were you anyway?" The brunet didn't even try to hide the shock from his voice.

"Dude, if that guy was really dead and I was the one to call a damn ambulance, the police would suspect me first! I already have the police breathing down my neck cause of those robberies! And I was at this old dango shop, you know? The one we went to last week?"

A snort sounded from the other brunet. "You're an asshole, you know that? Anyway, you wanna watch a movie tonight? I heard there's this new one called _Blood Prison_."

Quickly acknowledging that with that the disturbing conversation didn't hold anything of interest for Sasuke anymore, the raven-haired male made his way towards the cash register. In a daze, he placed all of his items onto the conveyor belt, thinking over the words he had heard. Only one male person with blond hair his age came to mind and that was Naruto. The last time he had seen him already lay hours back. He tried to find another blond in his mind, a different male in Konoha that might be laying dead somewhere in the streets.

He couldn't think of anyone else.

Sasuke told himself that he would only take a glance, perhaps call an ambulance if no one else had. Or a hearse. He tried to convince himself that there were many other blond guys his age living in Konoha, that the chances were low for Naruto of all people to lay dead in some alley. Truth was, the only other blond people around his age he could think of were Ino, who definitely wasn't male, and some guy at least three years older than him.

These thoughts coursing through his head, Sasuke got onto the bus yet again, heading into the opposite direction of where his apartment was. He lived alone, so there was no one waiting for him at home. Stiffly exiting the bus, he glanced around to search for the dango stand. Truth be told, he hadn't been in this part of Konoha since primary school, but he knew he had been at that stand before. His eyes soon trained on the familiar green banner above the stand's entrance and he kept searching for that alley the brunet in the store had mentioned. Only few cars drove along the streets, so Sasuke casually strolled over the cemented ground and to the other side of the street where the dango stand had its place. Close to the stand there were only two alleys. Keeping his mask of casual disinterest intact, Sasuke headed for the one left to the stand. There were two possibilities: Someone had noticed the teen in the alley and called an ambulance. The other possibility consisted of one raven-haired teen coming face to face with an at least nearly dead guy. Sasuke unconsciously held his breath as he glanced into the narrow space.

Nothing there.

Releasing a silent breath, he turned to make his way to the other alley and stopped as he only reached the alley's corner. If he stepped just a bit further, he would see what was there. Maybe he was in the wrong place and nothing would be there. Maybe that brunet in the store had mistaken a few bags for a human body. Maybe Sasuke was just worrying too much.

And then the Uchiha took that last step, entering the alley. What he found was the one thing he hadn't wanted to see.

There was actually something akin to a human body huddled between a few trash cans. Sasuke was weary about getting closer, hoping his eyes and mind were playing tricks on him. Then he spotted the orange hoodie. The very familiar orange hoodie. He was at the trash cans just a second later and peered down at the mess before him. Kneeling down to eye the body further, a frown formed on the teen's face.

_This can't be Naruto. This guy is way too pale._

He noticed more and more things about the motionless teen on the ground before him now. The spiky blond hair, the black shirt, the split lip and bruises covering nearly white skin. Those scars. Sasuke clenched his jaw before he relaxed again, trying to regain control over his mind that started to jumble up with so many emotions he didn't want to feel. His common sense kicked in, telling him what he should do. The first thing he did was search for a pulse. He pressed two fingers onto Naruto's ice-cold skin, beginning to feel panic creeping into his mind as he couldn't feel _anything_. He wasn't even sure if the other was breathing. Sasuke knelt there for what felt like many painful hours, shifting his fingers to find something, until he finally felt a weak pulse against his finger tips. It seemed way too slow to be healthy, so Sasuke scrambled to get going.

_I need to get him into some place warm_, the raven-haired teen contemplated. _I need to somehow get him into my apartment._

Some muttered curses and stumbling later, Sasuke had securely placed the blond on his back along with both their luckily light bags over his arms, one currently containing Naruto's hoodie. He could now feel relieved that at least the constant rain was beginning to lessen. The Uchiha was soaked now himself, but he was wrapped in a jacket that protected him from the cold. Sasuke quickly weighed his options. Somehow, he had to move Naruto. One option was to take the bus, the other was to call a taxi. Sasuke quickly decided for the taxi and started to walk to where he knew the next bus stop was. He could feel Naruto's heart weakly beating against his back. It didn't take a doctor to know that the blonde was close to death.

All of a sudden, Sasuke stumbled a little over a beer bottle that lay abandoned on the sidewalk, the clear glass bottle clattering and rolling over the pavement. The raven easily caught himself and cursed under his breath, then balanced Naruto on his back. His eyes widened a fraction though as he noticed how the blond's heart suddenly beat irregularly, some beats stronger than others, no rhythm apparent. The Uchiha stopped in his tracks and remained in his still somewhat sloped position, turning his face to the side a bit, but only able to see the blond's head on his shoulder. He waited until Naruto's already weak heart beat became regular again and only then continued to walk.

_Note to self: No sudden movements or else I'll kill the moron._

Standing underneath a bus stop after a few steps, Sasuke dropped the bags and swiftly pulled his phone from his pants' pocket, picking a number from his contacts list and all the while balancing Naruto on his back. A single ring sounded before someone picked up. Sasuke quickly gave his location and told the person on the other line to have the taxi driver hurry up. It seemed to have worked, since the cab arrived about four minutes later. The driver didn't ask questions as Sasuke placed the unconscious blond and their bags on the backseat, for which the teen was thankful. He gave the man behind the steering wheel the directions to his apartment and promised him a large tip if he got there in less than ten minutes. Needless to say that they arrived there about seven minutes later with Sasuke having dug his fingers deeply into the material of the seat he was sitting in, for he would have probably been thrown out of the cab through the roof otherwise. He felt like he had just lost at least ten years of his life to that ride. The moment the cab came to a stop and the driver announced that the ride would cost him 145 ryou, Sasuke was out and on Naruto's side of the car. Pulling open the door, he tossed a few bills at the driver and hoped it was at least somewhere around 200 ryou, before he once again pulled the still unconscious blond onto his back. As the white-haired driver smiled and bid him good-bye, Sasuke only grunted in response. What he didn't see as he made his way towards his apartment was the widening smirk of the taxi driver and the chuckles filling the cab.

Inside the apartment, Sasuke dumped their bags in the kitchen and Naruto onto his bed upstairs, removing two of the three large pillows on top of the sheets.

_Clothes…_

Gulping a bit, the raven-haired teen grabbed the hem of Naruto's black shirt and pulled it up. He flinched as his fingers made contact with the blond's frigid skin. Not even a corpse would have been _this_ cold, but Sasuke kept going and with some difficulty pulled off the soaked piece of garment. He hung it over the armchair that stood in front of the large sliding glass door leading to his balcony. Next was Naruto's pants, which were a lot harder to remove since in their wet state, they clung tightly to the blond's legs. Once Sasuke had them down to Naruto's knees, he pulled off the other's sneakers and socks and only then went further. With his last tug, he almost pulled Naruto off of the bed as well. He pondered wether he should remove Naruto's wet boxers as well. It took him a while until his mind was set, his head jerking with a small nod that no one saw. Sasuke moved forward and hooked his fingers into the rim of Naruto's boxer shorts. He kept his eyes trained on the much too slow and weak rising and lowering of the blond's chest as he pulled the wet material down a little. When he started to completely pull it down Naruto's legs, he moved his face to the side and stared at out of the window in front of which his desk and television stood. As Naruto's clothes were removed completely, Sasuke pulled out a spare blanket from a closet in his corridor and resisted the voice telling him to eye the blond, while he threw it across the naked teen. It was the thickest blanket he could find, but he knew it wasn't enough.

Sasuke rushed down the corridor again and into the bathroom where he grabbed a few towels, then rushed back into his bedroom and dumped those on the floor. Then he jogged back to the bathroom and took a bucket from a shelf and filled it to the brim with luke-warm water. He hoisted it out of the tub with a small grunt, grinding his teeth together. Not a drop of water was waisted as he got back to the bedroom and took one of the small towels, soaked it in the water, then wrung out the excess water. Carefully he placed the compress on Naruto's chest and prepared another one that he placed on the blond's neck. He knew one major rule of treating hypothermia was to warm up the affected person by applying warm compresses to the chest, neck and – to Sasuke's dismay – the groin. He tried not to give it too much thought as he soaked another towel and blindly placed it on Naruto's groin, then covered the other teen with the thick blanket and added another one on top. He loudly released a small breath, before walking over to a small control panel in the wall and pushing the button that raised the temperature of the room up a few degrees. Sighing in exasperation, the brunet walked down the stairs to his kitchen and picked up a kettle from a cupboard, filled it with water and let it heat up. As the water slowly started to form steam, Sasuke placed a teapot from a nearby shelf on the counter and dropped two tea-bags in it, then walked back up the stairs in a rushed pace and checked up on Naruto. There wasn't much of a change apparent yet. After all, it only had been around ten minutes since the whole warming up had started.

The Uchiha's brows then furrowed into a frown as he approached the blond on his bed. Cautiously, he placed two fingers against Naruto's pulse.

Nothing.

Sasuke waited. He waited and shifted his fingers, hoping to feel Naruto's pulse throb against his fingers, but he couldn't feel anything. The Uchiha lowered his ear to the blond's face, but heard nothing, no intake of air or a breath leaving the other's nose or mouth. Pulling back, Sasuke placed one hand on the other male's chest.

It didn't move.

"Shit!" Sasuke pressed his other hand to the center of Naruto's chest as well and pushed down. He pumped hard and fast, checking the other's breath every few seconds. Nothing changed and he was growing frantic. He tilted back the blond's head and lifted his chin, then pinched the other's nose and pressed his mouth to Naruto's. He gave two breaths, before pulling back and starting to pump the younger male's chest again.

The room had heated up by now, causing the first pearls of sweat to roll down the side of Sasuke's face as he continued to pump Naruto's chest and to blow air into his lungs, seeing how the blond's chest rose with each of his breaths out of the corner of his eyes.

A horse, weak intake of air elicited a silent sigh of relief from the raven-haired Uchiha. Faintly he could hear the _Bing!_ of the kettle downstairs signaling that the water was heated. Sasuke remained sitting at Naruto's side for a while, watching as the rising and falling of the blond's chest got steadier with the seconds passing. Deeming the other male okay to be left alone for a minute, Sasuke left and hastily headed for the kitchen again. He picked up the steaming kettle from its platform and poured the water into the teapot he had prepared. After putting the kettle back onto its platform, Sasuke grabbed a pot, filled it with water and placed it on the stove. He pushed a small button to turn the stove on and let it heat up. Then he opened a long abandoned drawer that contained a few small bags and sifted through them, the Uchiha's eyes landing on one bag that read _Tomato Soup._ He halted his actions for a moment and glanced back, out of the door and to the stair case, wondering if the blond in his bedroom was fine. Nervously he ground his teeth together and jerked back his gaze, shaking his head to rid himself of the worry starting to cling to his mind. The bag containing the recipe mix was ripped open, its contents then dumped into the pot, bubbles ascending from within the slowly boiling water. After turning down the temperature of the stove and stirring the soup a little with a spoon, Sasuke walked up the stairs and to his bedroom again. There he took a quick glance at Naruto and tore his gaze away as he saw the steady breathing assuring the blond's life. His ink-black eyes wandered over to his armchair where Naruto's wet clothes rested.

Only now Sasuke realized that he was soaked as well, shivering just slightly though. He went over to his cupboard and pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants. Knowing Naruto wouldn't see him, Sasuke changed right then and there. As he pushed his head through the hole in his dark-blue shirt, he realized that he would have to tell someone about the blond's condition. If Naruto was anything like Sasuke, then he figured the blond wouldn't want to be put into a hospital or have the police involved. That left Naruto's father, Mizuki, who the raven didn't trust at all despite having only met him a few times many, _many_ years earlier. Of course, there were those obvious reasons he didn't like him too. Now he didn't quite know what to do. He thought about calling their homeroom teacher, but decided against it.

Sighing, Sasuke walked over to the armchair with Naruto's clothes and picked them up. He figured that they would have to dry somehow, but with the rain outside still pouring, all the teen could do was place the wet clothes into his dryer that had started to malfunction the day earlier. Sasuke hoped the dryer would have mercy though and work properly anyway.

Back in the room, a thought hit the Uchiha. He strolled down the stairs and went back into the kitchen. First, he checked both the tea and the soup, turned off the stove and put a lid onto the pot, then he picked up his _guest's_ bag and laid it onto the table in the middle of the kitchen. He rummaged a bit through the mess that was Naruto's things, until he pulled out what he had been looking for: Naruto's phone. Not feeling a tiny bit bad about invading the other's privacy like that, Sasuke looked through the few contacts that were saved in the device. One was called _Dickhead – _obvious who _that_ was –, the next one _Sakura_ and the others were all numbers for trivial things like flower shops and ambulances, the things that sometimes were pre-saved in a phone. The only unnamed contact then caught the raven-haired male's attention. It seemed to be a private number and so, without a second thought, he called it.

It took a few rings until someone finally picked up, but once the voice on the other end sounded, Sasuke wished he had called Sakura.

_"What the _hell_, you cock jockey! What'cha doin' callin' me in the middle of…"_ A small pause. _"Afternoon! Fucking _afternoon_,_ _Naruto!" _

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," the calm teen replied. "I found Naruto passed out and with moderate hypothermia in an alley. I took him home and am right now treating him. I figured someone should be notified, so I called you. May I ask who exactly you are?"

_"Fuck…"_ The voice sounded slurred and several high-pitched giggles and low chuckles sounded in the background. _"Where do ya live?"_

"I'm an Uchiha. You should know where I live." Ignoring the fact that the other hadn't given him his name, Sasuke hung up. The fact that this man's number was the only private one in Naruto's contacts besides Sakura's and Mizuki's had to mean something.

* * *

><p>I wonder if anyone is able to identify those two boys in the grocery store. They appeared in the series at some point, but never got any names. But they appear very early, if I remember right.<p>

I think I'm gonna go back to doing updates every two weeks, unless anyone has huge objections and a valuable reason why I shouldn't. It doesn't seem to be that much of a difference _when_ I do the updates as long as they come consistently. Right now I don't feel so up for working this hard to put out the chapters every week when things are like this. School started again and I still have to draw requests for a contest I made on deviantART *hasn't even started yet*. Me is lazy.

Next chapter: Black to Blue

– Murasaki B


	17. Black to Blue

Tadaima! Sorry this took so long. As compensation, it's at least a long chapter. Problem was: I felt like shit. Easy as that. I was absent from school for two weeks because I'm a moron. My doctor told me to eat and sleep more and what do I do? I do the exact opposite! But this iron deficiency… anemia whatever thingy isn't something that'll go away if I eat more. At least I think so.

Some people were puzzled about who exactly Sasuke called in the last chapter, since things didn't match up with their assumptions regarding the mystery caller. Things may get more confusing after reading this chapter, but that's just how my stories work. I want my readers to look out for even the tiniest hints. Even trivial looking things could turn out as essential later on.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XVII<span>  
><span>– Black To Blue –<span>

First came the white nothingness, then suddenly the fire.

The fire was licking at his guts and burning him from the inside out. As if he had gulped down a hot iron. His mind was engulfed by an awkward numbness that felt fuzzy, making him unable to see and thinkproperly as if a bunch of fluffy cotton was surrounding him and blocking everything. He didn't remember much of what had happened, only walking around in the rain and feeling tired, confused, wet, _hot._ He didn't remember why he had been in the rain or why he was feeling so miserable. He knew his fingers and toes were numb without having to move them and he was cold beyond belief. Naruto couldn't remember any time where he had been _this_ cold on the outside and _this _hot on the inside. Even if he tried to move one single finger, it felt like millions of hot needles were digging into his finger tips. Same with his toes. And his arms. His legs. And even his _nose_! If this was how death felt like, then it sucked. A lot.

_Wait…_ _Is that chanting? And… the smell of incense?_

With some effort he forced his eyes open a slit. Bright light immediately attacked his poor eyes, but he refused to close them and saw only a white ceiling. He assumed the noise and the weird smell were coming from outside since the chanting sounded rather muffled. That was definitely more than one person and they all seemed female. And that incen–

_The hell? Why the fuck am I inside anyway?_

He was supposed to be _outside _in the _rain_. Soaked to the bone and possibly_ dead_. So why was he _inside_ and in…

With barely opened eyes Naruto eyed his surroundings and found himself lying on a bed and wrapped in layers and layers of sheets. A chill ran down his spine when he felt something wet on his neck, chest and, for some reason, on his crotch. He _tried_ to get out of this fluffy prison, but only ended up hissing at the pain moving caused. As if someone kept pricking him with sharp forks all over. A groan left his mouth and he let his head sink into the comfy pillow below him. He wanted to say something like _Fuck_ at that moment, but he couldn't get his vocal chords to work. He couldn't even force out a small rasp. He was oh so lucky to have other people outside breaking the silence with their chanting though. The blond couldn't make out the words these girls, women, or whatever they were, were saying and only heard that it sounded excited as well as desperate. He sighed in boredom and all of a sudden, started to wonder how high the chances were that the sun would suddenly implode and burn up the entire sun system. After all–

"I see, you're awake, dumbass," a smooth voice suddenly sounded close to him. "Those girls have been annoying me all day with their moronic chanting, trying to change my feelings about them."

Somehow, Naruto found it hard to find the face belonging to the voice in his memory. He knew that he had heard it before, that he knew it. He should be able to recognize it, shouldn't he?

"I'd rather you leave his apartment as soon as possible." The other's voice was dripping with boredom and disinterest, as if he didn't have a naked and half-dead teen on his bed. "But I don't want anyone annoying me for throwing you out, so leave as soon as that guy arrives."

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed into a confused frown and he finally turned his pounding head to see the figure sitting on a chair next to the bed. "Uchiha?" he croaked out hoarsely, his throat immediately aching as if it had been roughed up with sand paper. The other didn't seem too fond of saying more than necessary, so the blond didn't expect any kind of answer, though it still surprised him that he seemed to be in the Uchiha's apartment of all things. Something steaming was placed on a table next to the other teen and it appeared to be a smooth black cup. Flinching in pain the blond sat up, mumbling a small "Thanks" as he was handed that exact cup from the table and noticed that it contained tea. "What guy?" his voice was weak and it hurt to talk, but he was too curious to just sit and keep silent. He took a sip from the hot tea, feeling stinging pain in his throat, but also warmth sliding down and spreading from his stomach into his icicle of a body, the fire licking at his insides already gone.

"The guy that's going to pick you up."

Naruto's frown deepened with doubt and he was beginning to feel worried. For several reasons. "What's his name?"

"I don't know his name. He was in the contacts list of your phone."

Naruto couldn't stop his eyes from widening in shock. There were only two males listed in his contacts and one of them was the very person that had created his personal hell. All of a sudden, memories suddenly flowed back to him as if a dam had just broken in his mind. He knew why he had been running again. He knew what he had been running away from, why he was feeling so miserable.

_I was given up for adoption right after my birth._

His fingers clenched the cup in his hand so tightly, it caused enough pain for him to want to chop his hands off, even with a rusty spoon. Trying to find an answer, he looked over to the Uchiha, his eyes connecting with the other's. Only now he noticed those deep pools of dark in Sasuke's eyes. One couldn't tell where the pupils ended and the irises began. When one looked into his eyes, he saw a darkness that went on forever to some faraway place, where neither him nor anyone else was welcome to go. The blond stared at him for a long time, searching for an answer to his questions. So many questions. Why was he here? Who was the Uchiha talking about? Why was the Uchiha taking care of him? Was he actually concerned about him? Did he care about him? Did Naruto's real parents care about him? Think about him? Worry about him? Were they perhaps… dead?

A door bell ringing caused Sasuke to end their stare-down and smoothly leave the room. To leave _him_. Once Naruto was alone in the bedroom, he felt hollow. Empty. Void. He didn't know what to think anymore. He didn't know if he should have been worrying about something, if he should be crying or laughing.

All he knew was that he didn't want to be alone. Not now.

Feet hit what sounded like stairs, growing louder until Sasuke came in again with another person.

"You fucking _bampot_!"

It was _him_. "Hey, Fuchs," Naruto greeted the redhead, relieved that it wasn't _someone_ else.

"Fuchs?" Sasuke muttered, glaring at the vulgar idiot beside him.

"Yes," the redhead shot back, sending a glare right back. "Problem with it, butt-pirate?"

Sasuke didn't even blink when Kyuubi kept giving him that foul look. "As long as you don't screw over crackheads and hide their corpses in my backyard, no, I don't."

Naruto couldn't stop a small amused grunt from bubbling up from his throat. "You rub off so easily, Kyuubi." Having finished his cup of tea, his throat felt a little better now. "I really don't get how you can get even Uchiha to be vulgar."

Kyuubi only chuckled, his smirk showing off his pointy canine teeth. "That's just how awesome I am."

"Would you mind removing the idiot from my bedroom now?" Sasuke declaimed with his usual indifference.

"You brought him here," Kyuubi retorted sharply, his blood-red eyes narrowing. "Keep him until he is able to at least _walk_ on his own. I don't feel like carrying a pile of blond cluster fuck right now."

Naruto didn't even have to look to know that Sasuke was probably currently trying to get his eyes to fire lasers into Kyuubi's head. It didn't seem to work.

"I don't–"

"Now, now, little brother," another voice Naruto hadn't noticed before spoke up. It was smooth and calm and it made Naruto feel as if someone had stuffed bunches of fluffy cotton into his ears. No, more like someone had dumped an entire bottle of sweet, sticky syrup on his head. "That's not how you treat guests."

Sasuke only answered with his usual "Hn" and stayed silent. _Now_ the blue-eyed teen wanted to know who exactly this guy was. The guy that was able to make Uchiha Sasuke shut up.

"Get the hell up, you lazy fuck."

"Fuck you, Fuchs," Naruto spat out in response, putting the cup away and laying back down. A hiss ripped from his throat when a foot connected with his side and almost pushed him off the bed. If the bed didn't have such a huge mattress, he definitely would have found himself kissing the floor right now.

A rumbling growl reached his ears and Naruto couldn't help but cringe at the utter venom in it. "Get. The Hell. Up. You damn lazy _fuck_!"

Not wanting a fist connecting with his stomach – Kyuubi would do that, he was sure of it –, he forced himself up into a sitting position, throwing off a few blankets in the process. A blush immediately covered his cheeks when he finally noticed that he wasn't wearing anything. Awesome! He was sitting on Uchiha's bed butt-naked! "It's great to see how much you care about me."

"Don't be a pussy and put your clothes on," the redhead bit out.

He obviously was a lot more irritated than usual. Naruto didn't know if he should ask about it. "Did a monkey crawl up your ass and die?" _Smart, Naruto. _Really_ smart_. _Fuck, his eyebrow is twitching_.

Kyuubi _really_ was pissed off about something. "Mind leaving so I can talk to him for a sec?" Kyuubi turned around and rather than looking like he was _asking_ the others to leave, he was looking as if he was about to kill them both if they didn't. Naruto wouldn't have put it past him to try something like that. How ironic.

And they actually left, both with a "Hn". Was the other guy an Uchiha-clone?

_Wait a minute. Didn't he say _little brother_ earlier? That–_

The door shut and Kyuubi turned to the blond, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the fuck were you thinking running around in the rain like that? If you died, people would suspect me first! I wouldn't have even _one_ damn peaceful second anymore!"

"Sheesh, sorry for almost dying."

Other people would have sighed, apologized, sat down next to him and given him some kind of concerned lecture, saying how worried they had been and telling him to be more careful in the future. But not Kyuubi. "What got you twisting your panties in a knot anyway?"

_Very smooth, Kyuubi. Very smooth_. "I was a bit… shocked about something." The teen's eyes kept shifting around the room as Kyuubi stared at him, eyeing him with his probing red eyes.

After some time, Kyuubi came over to the bed and removed some of the many blankets covering Naruto and threw them onto the floor, then sat down in the chair Sasuke had sat in earlier with one arm lazily thrown over the back rest and the other dangling between his knees. "I knew your parents."

_What? _

Cerulean eyes widened. Jaw dropping slightly, whatever he wanted to say was stuck in his throat. Naruto clenched his teeth so tight he wouldn't have been surprised if they had cracked. His eyes start to water. "You… You _knew_ them?"

There was a long silence. Naruto didn't know _how_ long it was. It could have been only a few seconds or several minutes, he didn't know.

"They died on the day you were born."

Hot tears rolled down his cheeks now and Naruto bit down on his lower lip to stop any sobs from passing his lips. "Tell me… you're lying." His voice cracked. "Tell me it's not true." He could barely hold in his sobs now. "Please," he whimpered.

"I can't."

All of his hopes destroyed. Everything crushed within a day.

Naruto pulled his legs to his chest and lay his head down on his knees, ignoring the harsh stinging pain caused by only the slightest movement of a single muscle. Tears kept pouring from his eyes, soaking the sheets that covered his knees and lower regions. "G-Give me my c-clothes," he choked out with some effort, his throat already constricting in protest. After a while, he heard Kyuubi getting up from the chair and walking away, before coming back again. Damp material hit the side of his head and fell down to his side.

"Hurry up," Kyuubi growled impatiently. "I want to get outta this goddamn Uchiha apartment as soon as possible."

By now Naruto was able to subdue his tears, so he straightened up and looked at his still wet clothes. He bet if he wrung them even a little, he could fill buckets with the excess water coming out. A frown settled on his tear-stricken face and he sniffed weakly, glaring at Kyuubi just as weakly. "My clothes are still wet."

Kyuubi sighed and rolled his eyes, but turned away and walked over to a dresser anyway. He roughly yanked open a few drawers and shuffled through what was inside, then took a few things from different drawers. A second later, he threw different clothes at Naruto's head. Dry and warm clothes. The teen clutched them for a while, just enjoying how soft and _clean _they felt. Not like his clothes weren't clean, but they definitely could have looked a lot better. Kyuubi started looking at him weirdly, so he countered his glare with a defiant look.

"Shouldn't we ask before we just take some of his clothes?"

Again Kyuubi rolled his eyes, then walked away and out of the room. From outside Naruto could hear him shout something, but he couldn't really get his ears to understand the words right. The redhead came back in and gave him an expecting look. Naruto then hurried up and pulled on the gray printed shirt he had been given. It felt weird putting on boxers he knew belonged to the Uchiha and Kyuubi watching him like that wasn't making it any better. He pulled off the rest of the sheets covering him and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. With still numb fingers he had some trouble getting the socks onto his feet and the dark-blue pants over his legs, not to mention what problems the pants' zipper was making. After some minutes of struggling and his finger tips feeling as if they were going to implode and melt off his bones, he was finally fully dressed.

As he stood up, a bit wobbly on his legs, trembling all over and nearly falling over again, Kyuubi threw a dark-gray hoodie into his arms, then turned to leave the room. He wanted the redhead to stay for a bit though. "Wait!" he called out, waiting until Kyuubi turned around and looked at him curiously. "I… Today…" His eyes were suddenly glued to the floor and he couldn't tear them away, no matter what he tried. "This probably sounds stupid, but… but…"

"Just spill it," Kyuubi bit out imperatively.

Once he had wiped any wetness from his face, Naruto was finally able to look into the other's black-rimmed red eyes. Kyuubi claimed he didn't use eyeliner, but his eyes said differently. "C-Can't I stay with you? You know, just for warming up a bit more and all. Can I–"

"No."

Naruto couldn't stop the small pout from forming on his face. "It wouldn't hurt you to be a bit nicer, you know."

"It's your own fault for being a fucking _idiot_. Now get moving."

_I really don't get this guy. One time he's a kinda fun guy to be around, the next he's a total jack-ass. Why do I care about him so much anyway? Sometimes I wonder if he cares about _me_ at all_.

As they both went downstairs, Naruto could hear voices coming from a different room. He guessed it was the two Uchihas.

"We're leaving," Kyuubi called curtly, then just attempted to rush out of the front door as if the entire apartment was about to be trampled by a horde of angry gorillas.

Low, amused chuckles sounded beside them from another room. "You were going to leave without thanking the person that saved the life of your precious little blond? That is rather rude, _Kyuubi._"

Naruto could already hear Kyuubi grinding his teeth as he balled his fists. He suddenly slapped the blond in the back and forced him to step forward until he was not even an arm-length away from the Uchiha. Then he grabbed the back of his head and harshly forced him into a bow. "Thanks, oh so mighty Uchiha Sasuke, for deciding not to be a dick for once and saving the douche-waffle here," he spat with a tone not even close to honest thankfulness. "Now if you don't _mind_, we'll leave."

Before any of the two Uchiha could answer, Kyuubi grabbed the blond teen's arm and pulled him out the door. Naruto almost stumbled over his own feet, still somewhat dizzy from being nearly frozen to death for a while. His sight started to swim from all the sudden movement and somehow… everything he saw had these black edges… that were getting thicker and darker… each second.

_Can I keep walking… like this?_

_Guess I can't… Can't even stand straight anymore. Damn legs just… giving out on me. _

_Fuck, the floor's hard._

* * *

><p>The next day, Naruto awoke with a sneeze and his throat feeling painfully sore. He had a slight headache, but paid no mind to it as he eyed his surroundings.<p>

He was on a bed, obviously, but one he didn't recognize. The room as well was unfamiliar, one he knew he would remember if he had seen it before. Its atmosphere just screamed _I'm a nutcase!_ to any strangers entering this person's room. Swords lined the wall and Naruto couldn't quite decide if they were real or not. The thing making the room awkward was the shelf filled with books though, contrasting the swords in a way unthinkable for anyone not bipolar. It contained titles Naruto couldn't ever fathom to read, titles he supposed he would only read if he wanted to die from boredom. It seemed as if two entirely different persons lived in this room, even though it was clearly made up for only one space-wise.

All of a sudden, the door opened and revealed a man with slightly tanned skin, sun-kissed if anything.

"Oh, you're awake," Hachibi muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Naruto to hear. He sighed somewhat exasperatedly, ruffling his short brown hair. "I didn't think you would be up so soon."

For a while, Naruto stared at the man weirdly, wondering why he was acting so annoyed.

"That Kyuubi," the man spat with obvious distaste. "You do know that that guy's a massive asshole, right?"

"I'm aware." The blond's reply was nothing but a dejected hoarse whisper. Suddenly, panic took his breath away, robbing him off of the bit of composure he had left. His eyes widened a bit and his breath came only in quiet pants. "H-How late… is it?" Still, his voice was weak and shaky.

Hachibi briefly glanced at his wristwatch, a frown appearing on his bullish face. "Around four in the morning. Why?" The man's left eyebrow rose as he watched Naruto's blue eyes widen even more in pure shock, a disturbed look settling on his features.

"I-I really need to g-go now." Frantically Naruto got up from the bed, ignoring how the entire room immediately spun and pain pounded in his head so hard, it felt as if his brain would melt any moment.

"Hey! Calm down, kid!"

Naruto didn't listen. He picked up his shoes from the floor and hastily put them on and started to tie them. "Can't. My dad, he… I need to… I can't… He'll…" Unknowingly to the blond, tears started to flow from his eyes and dripped onto the floor beneath him. He didn't recognize the way his sight was suddenly blurred as wetness covering it up partially. Even his sniffs were automatic actions that he didn't consciously acknowledge.

And Hachibi could only stand in the doorframe and watch as the teen struggled to tie his shoes with trembling hands. Sighing, he went over to Naruto and knelt down in front of the blond sitting on the edge of his bed. He reached out to pry the shaking hands from the sneakers, then went to tie the laces properly. "You are lucky I do not sleep a lot. Who knew what you would end up doing." He made quick work of the teen's shoes and straightened up as he finished. "Or not being able to do," he added. As his eyes met the blond boy's, his entire face scrunched up into an unreadable expression. "You okay?"

Half-lidded cerulean eyes were blank. The whiskered face free of any tension.

Huffing, Hachibi flicked Naruto's forehead. "What? Fainted inside your mind?"

Those eyes were blinking rapidly now, the blond coming back from whatever planet he had been on. "I guess." Impatiently Naruto got up from the bed, effectively pressing himself against the taller man. Ignoring the ache in his chest he now noticed, he quickly ducked away, mumbled a thank-you and stormed out of the room. As he brawled down the corridor he had seen only briefly once before, he heard a thump from another room, followed by an angered growl. _Guess I woke Kyuubi up_, he thought to himself, wiping the tears from his face that he noticed only hurriedly left the house through the front door that looked a lot newer than the rest. Had things been different, Naruto might have laughed about the memory that popped up.

* * *

><p>Downtown Konoha at night was not the amusing, quaint part of town it was at day-time. Naruto had only been there with Kyuubi before, but even then it hadn't been completely out of his own free will. It seemed so surreal that this was the same place that old granny had chased the wanna-be robber.<p>

He was already reeking of cigarette smoke from only passing by the countless bars that had seemed like normal stores at day-time. Now he had to step over drunken bodies that littered the ground and walking by a few snack bars, he noticed the fat rats in the shadows eating to their hearts' content. The blond stepped into something squishy, gooey and smelly. Apparently it was a pile of barf. Trying not to slip, he kept walking down the sidewalk. As he turned the next corner, he came across a few shady-looking guys that spat right in front of his feet as he passed by. His eyes suddenly started to sting, but he didn't know from what. It was probably better not knowing. Next thing he knew he almost tripped over another body, but this one wasn't unconscious, seeing how it grumbled. He couldn't suppress the small grunt of disgust when he noticed that this man had been sleeping between dead doves. The homeless man glared at him indignantly and Naruto hurriedly high-tailed it out of there with quicker steps.

"Shut the fuck up or I'll punch you!" someone yelled from the other side of the street.

As soon as he glanced over, Naruto saw a group of people. They were barely older than him, two guys grabbing each others' collars, already trying to land punches on the other while two girls were screaming at the top of their lungs for them to stop.

The red soup hit the pavement.

Suddenly feeling sick, Naruto pulled his thin hoodie closer around his body to shield it from the cold, his bag uselessly hanging from his shoulder. He was lucky not so many of his things had gotten wet earlier. Wandering aimlessly, blankly, there was so much about Konoha at night he hadn't noticed before. So many people he hadn't paid attention to at day-light, but now couldn't help but notice. There were things he actually didn't want to see.

Naruto couldn't keep in the need to talk to someone anymore. After some internal struggling, his mind guided his hand without him being able to consciously command it. Once he had his phone in his hand, he thought to himself _To hell_ and dialed the number he knew by heart now. _Shouldn't I put him into my contacts list if I keep calling him anyway? _Shaking his head and smiling dejectedly, Naruto dismissed it, finding the thought of putting someone into his contacts list he didn't even know the name of ridiculous. He pushed the call button then and pressed the device to his ear, listening to the beeping on the other line. Doubts about what to do from where he was now began to cloud his mind, so the blond didn't even notice someone pick up.

_"You again?"_

_I can't go back. What should I do? Where should I go? I'd go to Iruka right now, but I don't know where his apartment is. Maybe I should call Sakura and ask her if she knows something._

_"Hey, I'm going to hang up if you–"_

"Huh?" The words finally got through to the absent-minded blond. "S-Sorry. I was kinda… You know…" Naruto trailed off, not quite wanting to share what he had been thinking. "Hi."

The other sighed, the sound ringing out horribly distorted through the earpiece of Naruto's phone. _"Bring it. It's the middle of night and I have better things to do. Sleep, for example."_

For a moment, Naruto merely pouted, an insult already on the tip of his tongue. But he gulped it down. "It's about…" Actually, the blond didn't know where the sudden urge to talk to _him _had come from, what it was exactly he wanted to talk about. Then a face popped up in his mind. A cruelly blank one. "It's about… this guy."

Noticing the silence stretching out, the other once again sighed. _"And?"_

"Well, he… I don't get him sometimes!" the blond hissed under his breath, not wanting to attract attention. "One time he's like… really cool to talk to! But most of the time he's just a total jackass."

_"But he still cares about you, otherwise he would've abandoned an idiot like you already."_

Naruto snickered coldly, suddenly weirdly calm. His eyes held a rarely seen haunted look. "We hate each other. And I mean it. It's really not this wussy superficial type of hate. I honestly hate him and he also still hates me."

_"Still?"_

"He hates just about everything walking this earth because he can't acknowledge anyone as his equal. That's why he hates me too. To him I'm just an annoying bug he's putting up with. For now." Naruto paused for a moment, lifting his head to look up at the black sky that looked as if it would swallow him if he stared for too long. "It's his fault I'm being bullied. That's the reason _I_ hate _him_."

_"What?"_ the other barked, clearly unable to understand the blond. _"Then why… do you sound as if it bothers you that _he_ doesn't cuddle and hug you?"_

"I never said–" Taking a deep breath, Naruto suppressed his urge to yell at the bastard that was indirectly calling him a wimp. "I… ended up going to him for advice. Dunno why anymore. I just didn't know where else to go. I was desperate. Amazingly enough, he actually helped me out a few times, but never showed signs that he really cares about me. Most of the times we talk is just… dunno. We hate each other and he… I… I don't get what kind of relationship we have."

It was silent on the other line for a while. Naruto's interlocutor seemed as if pondering the things said for quite some time. As if he was trying to solve an unsolvable mystery. Which he was, basically. _"To me it looks like you both are morons that are too stupid to realize they like each other."_

This time it was Naruto's turn to sigh. "Look, I don't mean to offend you, but I don't think you know what you're talking about. You don't know… _him_. He really isn't that kind of person."

_"_That_ kind of person?"_

"The type to _like_ something. It just… doesn't fit him, really. I can't imagine that there is anything he really cherishes."

_"He's human, isn't he? He's bound to have something he desires to never lose."_

"That's where I'm not so sure."

_"What? The him being human part?"_

Only now the blond realized just how much he was saying. How much he was _revealing_. "I…" _He really isn't like that_. _Like… us_. "I'm not sure who or what he is. I think even the name I keep calling him is fake."

Hearing the thud from the other line, one could easily picture the other person slamming his head against something hard. _"Hey now, just what kind of guy is he?"_ the other groaned. _"Is he a… lunatic that goes around stripping people off their belongings? A pervert? An even bigger moron than you?"_

"If only he were," Naruto chuckled. "I'd get along just fine with him if he were, believe me."

Another exasperated groan. Although it sounded more like a low growl. _"What do you expect me to tell you? How am I supposed to give you results of an analyzation on a person I don't even know a first thing about?" _

Again, Naruto sighed realizing that trying to understand Kyuubi was futile. "You're right. Sorry for bothering you so late." Naruto hung up knowing the other was doing the same. Shoving his hands into his pockets, the blond stared at the ground he was walking on, trying to shake off the thoughts that were plaguing him. People said that in such cases one should think happy thoughts. Well, what was Naruto supposed to think of at this time? Maybe his screwed up home situation? The newly gained knowledge of his adoption as a mere newborn and the death of his parents? Him probably becoming homeless with how the situation was? He couldn't go back. Not anymore.

Tired figures were standing in glaring neon light, deep wrinkles in their faces. A few people were waiting at bus stops to get to their early shifts in the stores, but they all kept to themselves and ignored what was around them. Naruto assumed they were getting frustrated since the bus just wasn't coming. There were so many piles of dog feces in his path that one actually would have had to be able to float to avoid it. Feeling sick and unhealthy, Naruto needed to breathe through his mouth, otherwise he thought he would suffocate from the smell. At the next corner, he saw a big bulky guy hugging a woman and crying into her shoulder even though she was a head shorter than him. It seemed like this town wasn't as tough as one would think.

Parts of Konoha could be ugly and dirty, so gray at night. Beautifully horrible, seeming as if it was eating him up from the inside. Slowly, painfully. He would have liked to just go home and sleep, but he knew that only horror was waiting where Mizuki was. There was no place for him to go to right now. No place where he would feel completely safe, at home. Not even Kyuubi could help him right now. Naruto kept telling himself that he cared, but then the redhead did things that made him wonder if he would ever be upset if he were gone. But in the end, Kyuubi was the person he _wanted_ to care most about him.

The blond didn't know for how long he had been wandering these streets, following his instincts to get him home or at least somewhere close to where he lived. But now, still walking down the sidewalk, he could watch how the black of the sky was slowly turning into blue.

_I feel broken because of you, Konoha. I wipe your dust from my eyes as I walk, my muscles hurting as if sore. You're not beautiful and you know that. Don't even look good from afar. But even while the sun is rising I know, wether I want or not, that I need you to breathe._

* * *

><p>The last part is loosely based on the lyrics of a German reggaehip-hop song by Peter Fox called_ Schwarz zu Blau_. It's about Berlin and how it can be ugly and cruel at night, but still has its good sides, especially when the sun rises and chases away the darkness at day-break. Actually, reggae and hip-hop both aren't my taste at all. I'm a total Nu Metal person (RED for example just inspire me a lot) and I need my share of J-Rock as well. But Peter Fox just makes a type of music that perfectly represents the city I live in: Berlin. I listen to his songs every now and then and am just happy to be a Berliner. I've been born here, but lived my earliest childhood in a small village in Rhineland-Palatinate. I'm still glad to live in a city now. I recently realized that the city just suits me more, even though I don't mind the smell of cow poo in the morning so much either.

Another thing: _Fuchs_ is a German word and means _fox_. You pronounce it like _foox_, but with the "oo"pronounced very shortlike in _look. _If you say it exactly like that, you learned how to perfectly pronounce a German word.

And by the way, that little description of Sasuke's eyes was a small reference to a book I read a while ago. Does anyone know it? Kudos to those that do! I'll tell you what it's called next chapter, since it really is a must-read.

– Murasaki B


	18. A Lone Pebble

I'm late. Again. I apologize and hope everyone will forgive me for being a lazy ass. I haven't been getting much done the past weeks and I'm not sure how to get out of this slump. *shrugs then proceeds to lazily lay on bed and watch _Galileo_*

A lot of people wondered about Sasuke acting like an ass and throwing Naruto out of his home the moment he's awake again. Well… it's Sasuke. I think that's reason enough to be acting like an ass. I don't want people to forget that this is _Sasuke_. In a lot of AU stories, Sasuke becomes an openly caring person that speaks about his feelings without hesitation, which he isn't. The _real_ Sasuke wants to kill Naruto and anything related to him, so I'm trying to eliminate the _wanting to kill_ and _I hate everything_ to create a Sasuke that's as sane as possible. And this Sasuke worries about Naruto in secret and saves him, then throws him out of his home the moment he wakes up because he doesn't want anyone to question a possible change of heart _knowing_ that Naruto will be fine because he's a stubborn moron and won't die from something like that. As long as he's breathing, it's none of Sasuke's business anymore. Any act of showing compassion is immediately compensated by some amount of cruelty so that no one can say "Oh hey, Sasuke is actually kind, so let's walk up to him and annoy the hell outta him by trying to become his friends". At least that's how I imagine Sasuke's mind works like.

To everyone who's interested: The title of the book I mentioned last chapter is _Hero_ by Perry Moore. It's a feast for anyone who likes American superhero comics with just a tiny hint of shonen-ai that actually isn't shonen-ai because it's not a manga. I just prefer to say _shonen-ai_ instead of _boy's love_ because it simply sounds better to me. I never read comics, but this books is awesome even for those like me.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XVIII<span>  
><span>– A Lone Pebble –<span>

An aimless, tiring and hours-long walk around town later and Naruto found himself in front of school. It was still early morning, hours until those tall gates would open and pull him into the chasms of heavenly distraction. He wandered away from school and sought protection from the still brisk and freezing morning air. The sun had barely risen, not up long enough for the air to warm up. After walking around for a few minutes, careful not to go too far away from school, Naruto arrived in a subway station where he found shelter. Only now people were beginning to file in, homeless people sitting cross-legged on the dirty floor of the station, grim expressions plastered on their faces even during sleep. Naruto went in a bit further to some of the benches beside the tracks. There he sat down, pulled his legs up onto the seats and tried to warm his frigid fingers by squeezing them into the space between his legs and his chest.

_I better should get used to this. _The blond let his face sink down into his knees, hiding his face from the world. _Going back to Mizuki is no option. I need to get away from him. I'll either end up homeless or I'll move in with someone. I definitely need to run away._

A train came screeching to a halt in front of Naruto, its doors opening and exposing the teen to the bright neon light shining from within. Only three or four tired people could be made out sitting in the compartment close to the blond. No one entered and so the train drove on, screeching loudly on its way.

_I'd better call Kyuubi. He'll know what to do._ Naruto pulled his phone from his pockets. He eyed it for a moment, remembering the day Kyuubi had given it to him as a present. Well, actually Kyuubi had thrown it at his head telling him to never call him when he was busy. And with _busy_ he meant the time when he was fucking someone's brain out.

Swiftly the blond punched in the numbers he was so familiar with, too lazy to go through his contacts. He briefly wondered if he should call that mysterious person he had been talking to a lot lately. But then he hit the call-button and waited for Kyuubi to pick up. When no one did, Naruto pressed his lips together, a sudden sadness overwhelming him. What if Kyuubi was _busy_ and didn't have time for him? What if he was still mad at Naruto for almost dying? Growing desperate when only the standard greeting of the voicemail sounded, Naruto hung up and dialed the redhead's number again, waiting for the relieving sound of someone picking up.

A few agonizing seconds later, that relieving sound finally chimed.

_"Do you have a fucking idea how early it is, dick flick?"_

Naruto opened his mouth, but no words left his mouth. Only now he noticed how hoarse he was, his throat burning the moment he tried to force out words. "Kyuubi," he forced out in a scratchy whisper.

_"Huuuuh…"_

"Are you drunk?" Naruto voice sounded high-pitched and cracked at almost every single word. He also had trouble keeping his eyes open since he felt utterly exhausted.

Chuckles on the other line. Not only those of one person. _"A liiiittle."_

"And you only fucked _a little_, I guess?"

_"Riiiiight. Smart kit, smart kit." _

The two sources of chuckles were both definitely male, Naruto now realized. "I… I need your help." Naruto couldn't raise his voice above a whisper. His throat closed up entirely when he tried. "I can't stay with Mizuki, definitely can't. Can't I–"

_"No way in hell." _Kyuubi suddenly was dead-serious, not a bit of drunken stupor in his voice. _"You know that won't work."_

"But–"

_"Find someone else."_

"B-But who?"

_"Dunno."_ Naruto could picture the way Kyuubi was probably shrugging with some drunken young lad hanging from his shoulder. _"How about you stay with that Sakura-girl? You've been friends with her for a fucking eternity now."_

"Don't think that'll work out."

An exasperated sigh. _"So? What am I supposed to do? You can't come crying to me every damn time you have a little problem."_

Even though his throat absolutely didn't allow it, Naruto broke out into heated yelling. "This isn't a _little_–"

An annoyed growl._ "I'm not a genius! I'm not your father! Stop being a fucking wussy and just find a way on your own!"_

The line went dead.

Violent coughs erupted from the blond's throat. He wouldn't have wondered if he suddenly had started coughing up blood.

Naruto had hoped that talking to the one person he thought actually understood him would make him feel better. Kyuubi was his anchor and he was supposed to make him feel better. Then why was it that he was feeling a lot more miserable than before now?

* * *

><p>At around seven thirty Naruto ended up inside the tall school building, other students flowing in as well. No one payed attention to him as he stiffly stalked down the corridor. He bumped into many of his peers, curses following him as he walked through the crowd. Bruises formed on his skin from harshly bumping into people. He didn't even know why he was so eager to get into his classroom. Somehow he just wanted to get somewhere else, somewhere where he felt safe.<p>

Why was it that he thought he would feel safe in his classroom?

He shoved aside that thought, only going faster. Never even noticing the way he had wrapped his arms around himself, he stormed into the classroom that was occupied by only few people. Some heads turned into his direction, but people lost interest in him soon enough and went back to their own business.

Naruto prepared himself for another dreary school day, the only thing keeping him from dying from boredom.

* * *

><p>During first period, Naruto's homeroom teacher Asuma introduced the students from Suna and assigned each of them their respective partner. The one Naruto was to take care of was Sabaku no Gaara. Only hearing his name had Naruto frowning. It sounded like something from an old samurai movie. Once the second period came to an end, Gaara disappeared the moment the bell rung. Naruto hadn't talked to him much and only <em>exchanged<em> a few words with him. At that time, the blond didn't know yet what kind of impact meeting Gaara would have on him.

The usual group of students surrounding Naruto was heading to their usual place at one of the tables outside. They settled at the largest one, seeing how their group consisted of nine people. Naruto noticed something he never had thought of being possible: He was somewhat cheerful. It wasn't a full-out brilliant grin that adorned his face, but it was still a genuine small smile. And people noticed.

"You seem happy," Sakura chirped as she walked beside the blond.

"I…" Naruto paused, his voice still hoarse, for a while not sure how to reply to that. "I… think I am. A little." He gave the people surrounding him a hesitant smile, finally realizing that putting on an act would be useless, since everyone already knew something was up. After all, all of them had planned that confrontation that had forced him into therapist appointments.

Suddenly, Naruto felt physically sick. He was sick of feeling like he had to put on a mask around everyone, he felt sick about Kyuubi just dismissing his problems like that and he felt sick of being alone.

He was sick of being dead on the inside.

_Funny how only nearly dying from freezing my damn ass off makes me want to live again._

A small grunt sounded and the collective attention focused on Sasuke sitting opposite to Naruto and casually leaning onto the table with his chin propped up on one hand.

"What?" Naruto demanded in a sharp tone, sniffing since his nose was runny.

The trade-mark bastardly Uchiha-smirk formed on the brunet's face. Sasuke's jet-black eyes turned towards the blond, his smug smirk widening indiscernibly.

"_What?_" the blue-eyed teen ground out again hoarsely, his temper rising.

In a casual way, Sasuke merely picked up a lone pebble that lay on the table-top. With dextrous fingers he flicked it into the air, catching it just as swiftly again and repeating the process. "Idiot."

Annoyed with the other's _bastardly_ behavior, Naruto got up from his seat to leave.

Sakura was about to protest, turning to shout after the blond, but her words got stuck in her throat as she saw something hitting the back of the retreating blond's head.

A lone pebble.

Bloody murder in his cerulean eyes, Naruto shot back around to glare venomously at the still smirking Uchiha. "You did not just throw that shit at me!"

Though Sasuke's expression didn't change, one could still see the challenge burning in his eyes, coaxing Naruto into a battle of unknown outcome. A battle that had no actual reason whatsoever.

A body suddenly launched itself across the tabletop and slammed into the _now not so smugly smirking anymore_ brunet. The two teens tumbled to the ground with snarls sounding loudly from the blond and grunts from the raven-haired teen. They grabbed each other, trying to land a hit on the other, but were quickly pulled apart by the rest of the group.

Being pulled away by Sakura and Chouji, Naruto waved his balled fist into Sasuke's general direction. "You… You… pedophiliac molester!"

"He's the same age as you," Chouji threw in, now having to deal with an angry Naruto trying to hit _him._

"Why you little…" Small coughs interrupted his own sentence and Naruto went still for a while, just coughing softly.

Sasuke soon roughly shrugged off the arms keeping him from getting close to Naruto. He looked disheveled and in disarray, but still content.

Forgotten was that moment of lacking self-control where Sasuke had kissed Naruto in the spur of a moment. It seemed Naruto had already forgiven him, seeing how the Uchiha had saved his life.

Or he had simply forgotten all about it.

Moments later, everyone had sat down again, continuing with whatever they had been doing before that whole fiasco. Most wondered about how easy it seemed to be to coax out the old Naruto. The Naruto they knew as hot-headed and easily enraged, especially when it came to Sasuke. A few sets of eyes averted their gaze to the blond once again as Naruto fumbled out his cellphone the moment he was seated.

Sakura sat right beside him, so she was able to see the number he was dialing. "Are you calling 110?" she inquired curiously.

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Sasuke needs surgery," the blond replied bluntly and with a straight face.

"F-For what?"

Naruto silenced her with his hand as someone picked up on the other line. "Yeah, hi. I've got an emergency here." Some muffled words sounded out of the earpiece of the blond's phone. "I'm at Konoha Highschool right now, in the front yard." More muffled words. "You see, my _friend_ got this huge stick up his ass." The voice on the other side then piped up, asking questions. "Yeah, literally. He's such a–"

The phone was snatched out of Naruto's grasp by a seething Sasuke, one of the brunet's eyes twitching just a bit. "What an idiot," he hissed, flipping the phone shut and throwing it back at the blond, even nearly hitting his dorky face. Instead he hit the idiot's dorky shoulder. What injustice.

"Well sorry for worrying about you," Naruto shot back. "I just thought that having a frickin' branch up your ass could get dangerous sometime in the future. Just imagine that thing reaching in so deep it'll splinter and hurt your intestines some day."

"Idiot," Sasuke snorted.

"Bastard!" Naruto yelled, breaking out into a fit of coughs, yet reaching over the table to get a hold of that stupid duck-butt-head anyway.

"Boobs!"

All heads turned to a dead-serious Kiba, his arms raised into the air. Truly a very strange sight.

"What?" he uttered innocently as he shrugged, taking down his arms. "I just wanted to add my two cents into the conversation." No one noticed how strained his expression was though, or the way he avoided looking at the still coughing blond across from him.

His violent coughs finally seizing, Naruto's heated glare shifted to the Inuzuka still innocently sitting there. "You–" Naruto suddenly went silent as he heard a car in the distance. Anyone that listened carefully would've heard it, but it caught his attention for one reason: he could recognize the sound of that engine out of thousands.

The blond's eyes went wide and he abruptly stopped any movements, rooted motionlessly in place. Stiffly, he turned his head toward the school gates, still hoping to not see the car he already knew was approaching. The terror on his face was unmistakeable.

Not only Sakura noticed the sudden change in behavior. "Naruto?"

_I didn't go home yesterday._

The engine cut off.

_I wasn't there even though I should've been there._

A car door was slammed shut.

_When I was an hour late one time he… teared me apart. _

Heavy, rushed steps approached the school and a figure appeared in front of the gate.

_I need to get away._

But Naruto remained frozen, seeming as if he had coalesced with the bench he was sitting on.

A man climbed over the fence, ignoring Lee who was threatening to call the police should he not refrain from forcefully entering like that. As the teen tried to hold back the man, he was harshly pushed aside by the fuming silver-haired man. The trespasser's face was distorted into a look of utter rage, yet seemed controlled. His pace was rushed, his cold eyes frantically searching the school grounds. Soon, his gaze trained on a certain blond head and he stormed towards that exact head.

Everyone's attention was now on the man marching down the school grounds and closing in on his target.

"Fuck," Kiba mumbled, jolting out of his seat. "Naruto, run!"

The blond hesitantly pulled his panic-widened eyes away from Mizuki getting closer and closer to look at the other.

"Run, dammit!" Realizing that Naruto wasn't able to move on his own, Kiba climbed over the table and grabbed Naruto's arm. He hopped off of the tabletop and pulled the teen up and away from the table with him. "Stop him somehow!" he yelled over his shoulder. Though his words were meant for the entire group, Kiba's eyes were on Sasuke, who gave him the hint of a nod.

Naruto almost stumbled as he was suddenly yanked from the table, but found his footing once Kiba started to run. He was still in shock, not processing what exactly was going on. All he felt was the panic making his frantic heart pump furiously.

"Naruto!" an enraged voice yelled. "Get back here this instant!"

The running teens rushed past students beginning to whisper among themselves about the entire scene, Naruto starting to cough again, a lot more violent than before. Since he was running, he had to take deeper breaths, which caused a sharp pain in his chest, but he kept running nonetheless. His muscles had been dully aching the entire time, but running like that was making it worse.

Kiba and Naruto only got to the back of the school building until the blond collapsed into a heap of coughing mess.

"Naruto!" The Inuzuka knelt down beside the other, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder and trying to see his face. "We need to keep going," he whispered, fearing that Mizuki would hear them.

At the moment they were somewhat hidden by bicycles in case their pursuer would get close, but those didn't provide a very good hiding place. Naruto's loud coughing would easily reveal them. Realizing this, Kiba grabbed one of the blond's arms and slung it around his shoulders to support him. When he helped the other to stand up, he noticed Naruto clutching his hand to his mouth.

"Let me see," he whispered as he took Naruto's hand away from his face. A gasp emerged from his mouth as he spotted droplets of a rusty-colored substance covering the blue-eyed teen's palm. "I-Is that… bloo–"

The sound of steps approaching became louder, along with huffing and puffing.

_Fuck, Sasuke!_

Kiba pulled Naruto closer to himself, trying to huddle behind the bicycles. He knew that, should Mizuki walk past them and see them for sure, he would have to make a run for it at the right moment. So he waited for the approaching steps. Waited until he could see the man's silhouette.

He was about to launch himself at the man, when Naruto beat him to it. The blond jumped at Mizuki and threw them both to the ground.

"Leave, Kiba!" came Naruto hoarse voice.

Dumbfounded the Inuzuka jumped up and stood there for a while, watching as the blond struggled to keep down Mizuki, but failed miserably. He opted to just run like Naruto had told him to, actually scared shitless by the insane man. But he couldn't.

Mizuki threw Naruto off after some struggling, then pounced on him and started to pummel him without ruth. He blindly slammed his fists into the wriggling teen beneath him, not even seeing what he was hitting, using the teen as a punching bag.

_Fuck, he hasn't taken his pills,_ Naruto cursed inwardly, already feeling blood running along his skin, but not knowing from what places. Everything was hurting, aching, burning. Breaking.

Mizuki was too blinded by his fury to notice the approaching danger. Only when a body slammed into him and threw him to the side and off of his target, his thoughts cleared up. He snarled like a mad beast, his heated glare focusing on the teen holding him down now.

"Ki–"

"Get away!" the brunet yelled, his head snapping to the side to give Naruto an intense look. Kiba's heart was hammering violently in his chest, feeling as if it would burst through his ribcage any moment.

Coughs came from Naruto's direction, before a small voice spoke up. "But–"

"Just fucking lea–" A punch connected with the side of Kiba's scowling face, the teen unable to hold down the much taller man any longer.

Tears began to pool in sky-blue eyes, teeth gnawing at a lower lip in anxiety. Naruto lowered his head, watching as a pearl of blood fell from his face and onto the sandy ground, only to be immediately sucked up. Naruto hissed as he slowly and shakily got up, holding his left arm. He could only hope it wasn't broken. He took a step back, watching as Mizuki wildly thrashed around beneath Kiba, who was taking the hits meant to fend him off. It was like watching a mad bull trying to throw off its rider.

Another step back and a punch collided with Kiba's stomach, enticing a pained gasp.

The next step had Naruto turning to finally run. Run like he had never run before.

A final scream echoed and bounced off of the school's walls.

* * *

><p>Mmmmh, I love cliffhangers like this. Proofreading the last part had my own heart beating in excitement. The difference is, I know what happens next and you don't! *laughs maniacally*<p>

I'll try to update as soon as possible, which would be in two weeks, but if I can actually stick to that resolve depends on wether or not I'll get out of my slump soon. _But_ I can tell you the name of the next chapter, which is:

Next chapter: A Doctor's Venom

I know, it doesn't sound exciting, but… Well, guess who the doctor is, then you can guess what'll happen. If you think like me at least, which would be awkward cause the tracks I think on are extremely random and crooked.

– Murasaki B


	19. A Doctor's Venom

Stupid, fucking wifi. My mother changed the times our wifi connection cuts off _again_ and yesterday I desperately tried to get out this chapter, only for our fucking douche-bag wifi to cut off.

Despite what I might seem like (I probably seem like a perverted psycho that likes to torture the characters of her story… which I am), I'm actually… well… Just ask whatever questions you have. I'll answer them and if I think it's something that needs to be explained for everyone, I'll do just that. I have the feeling– No. I _know_ people are confused as hell over this story and I _know_ that pretty much everyone reading this story has at least one thing they can't figure out on his mind. So, ask! Of course, I won't reveal things that are supposed to be secret until later chapters.

For example: It looks like a lot of people had the impression Kyuubi doesn't know about what Mizuki is doing to Naruto. But he _does_ know. I thought I had subtly pointed that out by him saying _"I want to keep you away from jizz face as long as possible" _and Naruto mentioning that he's the only one that understands him and that he came to him for advice numerous times. So, be aware that Kyuubi is the only person Naruto confides in about _all_ of his issues. Besides Mr. Mystery Caller of course.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XIX<span>  
><span>– A Doctor's Venom –<span>

Running.

Running on and on, but never enough. It had become part of his life. So many things that made him run away, try to flee.

His past, his present, his future.

No matter where he ran to, something was always there to make him run again. No matter how many times he could escape with success, another obstacle blocked his way and forced him to take a different route. No matter what he ran from, it was always his own fear that had him running. And this time he had even gotten someone else involved. Someone who shouldn't have been involved at all!

Naruto didn't even make it three blocks away from school before he collapsed from the pain. Everything was hurting, bleeding, burning. He didn't even know what exact places were injured, he only felt a pounding ache pulsing throughout his entire body. It was as though the pain was flowing in his blood, being carried through his entire system. Was he crying? Naruto lifted one hand to touch his face and noticed that there were tears coming out of his eyes. Pathetic. All he could do was run and cry all the time. How pathetic.

It was as if there was a little guy in his head telling him that it shouldn't be like this. That things should be different. That _he _should be different. For the first time, he felt like he was in the wrong body, like he had been put into an entirely different life. This life he was leading, the things he said and did. Somehow it felt as… as if…

This wasn't him.

Had he really forgotten… himself? Had Sakura and the others been right all along?

Then he heard the steps closing in on him.

Naruto's eyes widened as he just sat there, huddled in between the large trash containers standing behind the convenience store. The steps were hurried, sounding as if someone was running, and he could easily tell who it was from the huffing sounds. The blond didn't know what to do anymore. He was hurting. He was crying. He was clueless. He didn't want to move, he really didn't. It would hurt. He might even pass out the moment he would run a few steps. Honestly, he didn't even want to imagine it. He might…

He could die here, couldn't he?

_Okay Naruto, think. Just think calmly for once._ _What I need is… a goal. Some place to go to. I can't possibly go back to school, that's not an option. Going home isn't either. Sakura's place is way too far away. And the Uchiha… I don't really know where he lives. Ayame's Coffee is too far away too. Kiba's place… Shit! I don't know where he lives either! What does that lea–_

_Fuck… He's getting closer._

_Um… Uh… Kiba… no… uh… Goddamit, think calmly!_

The blond hit his damp forehead with his open palm and let it sit there. Maybe it would help to cool off his mind.

So what options did he have left? He would call Iruka if he had his number. Maybe he could find his way to Kurenai's place. He remembered driving by _Ayame's– _Sighing, he realized that that would be too far away as well.

_That leaves me with… with…_

_Akatsuki_.

It was close enough. It was also in the opposite direction of his house. Mizuki wouldn't get in if he acted like a loony off his loony pills. It was the only option he had left. But when the blond tried to push himself up with his hands, a burning pain shot up from his left wrist. When he looked at it, he noticed that it was slightly bruised. It hurt to move it, but it wasn't swelling, so he guessed it was neither broken or sprained. After all, he had experience with those kinds of injuries. In the end, Naruto got up by pushing himself up with only one hand.

_Guess I should move before he gets here. From the sounds of it, he went into the store. Chance!_

He ran – more like half limped, half stumbled – out of the gap between the store and some other building. The blond headed back into the direction of the school, since the Akatsuki building was in the opposite direction of where he had actually run to at first. Every now and then, he glanced over his shoulder to see if Mizuki was coming out of that store. And every time he saw or heard those automatic sliding doors open, he hid behind a tree, or a bush. Or a trash can.

It was weird… Whenever he was running away from something, it was at times when no one was around, being either at school or at work. The streets always seemed deserted when he needed help most.

After sneaking his way along the sidewalk and Mizuki coming out of the store to run around searching for him again, the blond finally reached a junction. He turned right and ran as fast as he could, ignoring how his hand started to feel numb. Luckily, Mizuki had only hit his upper body, so his legs were uninjured if he didn't count the scratches and scrape wounds. Still, his throat was starting to feel tighter and tighter. It was getting harder to breathe with each puff of air he took in. With the way his breathing sounded, one could think he was hyperventilating. His lung had probably already collapsed in on itself without him noticing.

He knew that he still had at least twenty minutes ahead of running, _if_ he could keep up this pace. He needed to add at least ten minutes including him constantly collapsing into a heap of bleeding mess with blond hair.

Why was he doing this again? Why didn't he just let Mizuki beat him up? Maybe he would actually kill him this time. Then he would be free of all this pain. So why did he keep running?

Maybe because…

In reality he really wanted to live.

Despite all this pain, this stress, this panic, this fear… Despite all this, he smiled.

He was crazy, he really was. But at least he wanted to live again, even though he didn't really know why. Maybe it was that short moment where he had thought everything was good. Those short moments with his… with his…

With his… friends.

Smiling a bit, he kept running while being able to forget the pain for a bit. Once he took another turn though, it came back full force, causing him to flinch and almost fall. He stumbled, but he found his balance and kept going. For once, he was glad that he was used to dealing with pain. He was able to force himself to move, even though not moving could mean not hurting at all after a while. Him and his stubbornness. He pressed forward like this for many minutes, falling hard a few times, but getting up again each time. With time passing, dopamine and later adrenaline even started to numb the pain. It was a weird condition he hadn't been in often. Being in so much pain that he couldn't feel it so much after a while.

Naruto almost stumbled past Akatsuki, that was how high on adrenaline he was. Like a zombie, he shuffled towards the front door. Once he actually got there, he just let himself fall against it, sliding down, while weakly slamming his open palm against the door. His sight was blurring and fading into white, exhaustion trying to force his eyes closed. He was so tired. So worn-out.

So worn-out that he didn't even feel the door opening and his body falling across the threshold.

* * *

><p>It was dark when Naruto awoke to muffled voices. The pain coursing through his body made it easy to be fully awake within seconds though. A hiss passed the blond's lips, his aching body hurting even when he didn't move. As a cough bubbled up in Naruto's throat, he noticed that it felt like someone had shoved a sharp knife into his throat and pulled it in and out repeatedly, twisting and jerking it all the way. Slowly, Naruto pushed himself up with his injured hand still throbbing in pain. It wasn't that different to the pain after many of Mizuki's beatings. The only difference was the lack of pain in his rear. He found it weird that he couldn't take deep breaths. His chest seemed as if it had shrunk and if he did try to take deeper breaths, he would start to cough.<p>

The door opened and startled Naruto, who had been lost in thoughts a bit.

"Ah, you're awake," Suigetsu mumbled as he approached the teen. Once he reached the bed Naruto was lying on, he sluggishly sat down on its edge and looked down at Naruto. "Why the hell did you come here of all places?" Others would have asked what had happened. But that wasn't necessary, since Suigetsu easily could figure out what had happened.

"My da– Mizuki attacked me in school and a friend… helped me to get away," Naruto whispered since he couldn't raise his voice above that. Suigetsu's eyebrows creased together, but he didn't seem too perturbed by it. "I couldn't go home and all the places I could think of were too far away or I didn't know way to them. I couldn't think of any other place to go."

The white-haired teen's lips pulled into a frown as he examined the other's dejected posture, head lowered, shoulders slumped. Something else had happened, probably a lot, that he was sure of. And knowing Naruto, it probably had to do with his father. Mizuki must have done some kind of damage that wasn't physical this time. Chuckling under his breath, Suigetsu ruffled the blond, but dirty hair with a sharp-toothed grin. "You kinda surprised us there. You nearly gave Kakashi a fucking heart attack."

"Kakashi?"

Suigetsu nodded, still laughing a bit. "He patched you up. You can't actually see that cause of his weird-ass mask he's _always_ wearing, but he was pretty damn shocked by the condition you were in. All bloodied and dirty and… not breathing."

"I wasn't breathing?" Naruto exclaimed in shock, despite his low voice breaking.

"Uh…" Suigetsu scratched his check, thinking. "No, you _were_ breathing actually, but barely. I think Kakashi was getting a bit panicked cause he couldn't detect you breathing at all. But you _were_ breathing!"

Naruto was about to ask what Suigetsu had been doing at that time, when the door opened once again. A dark-clad person stood in the doorframe and Naruto began to wonder if that scowl was permanently edged onto the raven-haired man's face.

Madara stared at them both for a while looking somewhat stiff. "Naruto, how are you?" One would think that those words held concern for Naruto as a person, but out of Madara's mouth it sounded more like the concern of a merchant worrying about his ware being damaged and therefor not fit to be selled.

The blond teen glanced down at his patched up arms, lifted his hands to touch his face and see if it was bruised. Those faded bruises on his face. They faintly burned, but nothing more. "Okay."

Madara cocked his head a bit, what he was thinking hidden behind a mask of indifference. "What's wrong with your voice?"

Naruto never looked up from his hands laying in his lap. "My throat's been sore for a while and now my voice is almost gone."

"Can you produce sounds properly?"

The tiny hint of a blush bloomed on the blond's cheeks. Instead of answering, he just nodded.

"Hmm…" Madara briefly scratched his chin, eyeing Naruto further. "Leading members of Akatsuki are going to visit. I haven't told you this yet, but these leading members are responsible for different divisions of Akatsuki and lead bases all over the world in other countries. Even though I'm the head of Akatsuki, the other members are important as well, meaning a visit here needs to leave a good impression on them. I have told them about my newest employee, you, and they are interested to _meet_ you, do you understand?

_They want to fuck me_. Naruto nodded, preparing to object whatever it was the man wanted him to do. "But I–"

"They pay well and they have influence on the entire system of many countries' industry, government, law enforcement, medical care and other such things. Being on their good side can be beneficial to you, Naruto. On the other hand, if you feel like you're in no condition to do your job, then I won't force you. Either Suigetsu or Sai will pitch in. Think about it." With that the man left, leaving Naruto alone with his mad train of thoughts.

_They pay well?_ Naruto repeated in his head. _So… if I do well and get paid well, it'll be easier to get away from Mizuki. I'll be free. Maybe I can even get out of… this business. _

"Are you sure it'll be okay?" It wasn't hard for Suigetsu to know what the other teen was thinking. The entire time, Naruto had looked like he had wanted to object, but the moment money had been mentioned, he had focused his entire attention on listening, drowning in his thoughts once Madara had left. "You don't look so good."

"But _you'd_ still fuck me."

Suigetsu shrugged in response. "Yeah." A shark-like grin suddenly spread on the violet-eyed teen's face and he cocked his eyebrows in a flirty fashion. "You up for it?"

An amused snort forced itself out of Naruto. He turned his head to smile at Suigetsu, happy to be able to joke around with someone like that. It even made him able to forget about his worries completely.

"Well, if you're gonna do it, we need to do something about your throat," Suigetsu stated with his shark-smile. "Anything else we need to take of beside your throat?"

Only now Naruto took note of the dull ache in his head and the soreness of his limbs. "My head hurts and I feel kinda sore all over."

"No problem!" Suigetsu replied. "Some painkillers and that'll be done. Can you get up?"

Naruto weakly nodded and stretched one arm out that Suigetsu wrapped around his own shoulders to help him up. The blond tensed and scrunched his eyes shut at the stinging and burning pain all over his torso, clenching his teeth as he got up into a standing position. With Suigetsu's help he limped out of the room and let the other lead him to Kakashi's room. To the blond's luck, it was right across since the _sickrooms_ were of course close to the doctor's room. The violet-eyed teen knocked once, then grinned down at the blond in his arm.

"Have fun," he muttered as the door opened.

Kakashi's curious eyes roamed over both boys, lingering on Naruto for a while. "You're fine again?" he questioned with a raise of his brows.

Naruto shrugged a bit, not seeing in any reason for surprise. "Isn't the first time I'm like this."

The man only nodded, then beckoned Naruto into his room. His hair loosely hung around his head, making him look more laid back than he already was. When he walked further into the room, a sliver of his lower back was revealed as he stretched, his dark blue shirt riding up his waist and his short sleeves revealing his toned arms.

Walking behind him, Naruto couldn't help but eye the man. The silver hair reminded him of Mizuki, but Kakashi seemed more kind-hearted and cheerful than anything. Nothing like his tormentor. His eyes stayed on Kakashi, even as the man turned to look at him curiously.

"I'm going to check you over then," the silver-haired man mumbled, motioning for Suigetsu to leave with a jerk of his head.

Naruto stared looking a bit startled, glancing back and forth between Kakashi and the retreating Suigetsu. He didn't quite trust Kakashi. That man was just weird.

"Now let me look at those wounds of yours again."

The blond nodded dimly, stepping further into the room once the man stepped aside. He shot a glance towards Suigetsu, knowing the white-haired teen wouldn't be able to accompany him. He just waved at the blond with a grin from afar, somewhat seeing him off with hidden amusement. Didn't give Naruto that much of a good feeling.

The door closed behind Naruto as he sat down on the bed at one side of the room. For some reason the dogs were absent. "Where are your dogs?"

"With their owners," the silver-haired man replied flatly. "I take care of the dogs every day in the noon except for weekends. Every other time they're with their owners. It's very lonely without them." Kakashi released a heavy sigh as he stepped in front of Naruto, his hands buried in the pockets of his white lab coat.

Naruto hadn't seen him wearing that before. "Are you an actual doctor?"

"How do you define _actual doctor_?"

The teen blankly stared at the other, leaning back on the bed a bit. "Studied medicine? Had a job in an actual hospital or a clinic? You don't really seem like it."

Despite Kakashi wearing a mask, one could recognize the smile on his face by only seeing his eyes. "I have experience. That's all I need. Now take off your shirt."

Releasing a huff of breath, the blond flinched only a little as he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. He was used to handling the pain, yet the large bruises covering big parts of his skin still shocked him a bit. Most were of a purple or reddish color, a few blue. He could make out some yellow bruises that had nearly healed. Judging from Kakashi's face, Naruto couldn't quite decide what the man was thinking, since the man didn't show any reaction whatsoever to his injuries. What he could assume was that those Akatsuki members didn't mind bruises, otherwise he would've been out of that deal the moment Madara had laid eyes on him.

Kakashi's hands swiftly moved over the teen's body, prodding and poking a few spots, carefully stroking over his flesh. He checked Naruto's pulse, examined his eyes, took a look at his throat and checked his temperature by pressing the blond's forehead to his own. He hummed quizzically after a while as he pulled back, glancing Naruto over another time. "You seem to have a light fever and shaking chills. Your skin also feels clammy." Kakashi scratched the side of his head, before lowering his head to Naruto's chest and pressing one ear against it. "Breathe in deeply." When the teen complied, he listened carefully before pulling away, not missing the shudder that had run through Naruto as if he was in pain. "Has your chest hurt in the past hours whenever taking deeper breaths?"

_He seems to have some kind of theory. What if he thinks I can't take the job? I won't be able to get away from Mizuki! _Naruto shook his head in denial, trying not to hiss when his head pounded in pain again. "Nope."

Kakashi's eyes lingered on the teen for a while, the man seeming as if he could see everything he wanted with those heterochromatic eyes of his. "I guess it's a normal cold then. Nothing to worry about. It'll take some time for _Akatsuki_ to arrive. Just take this medicine," Kakashi took a small, flat bottle from a shelf behind him, "and you'll be good again in no time." The man handed Naruto the bottle and urged him to drink by putting it into the blond's hands with a hidden smile on his face.

Naruto eyed the dark-brown glass bottle, unable to see what exactly was inside. He screwed it open and was about to take a small whiff, when Kakashi closed off the opening with his hand.

His face seemed kind, though perceptive eyes could easily see past the facade. "Only drinking, no smelling."

After a small, hesitant nod from the blond to which Kakashi removed his hand, Naruto prepared himself for the worst and lifted the bottle to his lips. He threw his head back a little as he took a gulp, swallowing quickly as to not have the taste remain on his tongue for too long. His already closed eye lids screwed together even tighter as he took the bottle away from his lips again. A cough bubbled up from his throat and Naruto felt the need to gag as the taste of Kakashi's medicine hit his taste buds despite his efforts. "What the fuck is this shit?" he gasped out, unable to decide if what he was tasting was disgustingly spicy or just down-right spoiled.

"Tamagozake," Kakashi replied with that same innocent expression of his.

"Fucking eggs with rice wine?"

"And a bit of honey." One of the man's eyebrows rose as he glanced at the scowling blond before him. "It shouldn't taste that bad," he mumbled absent-mindedly, taking the bottle from Naruto's hands. "I made it last week."

"Isn't tamagozake made with _raw_ eggs?"

Kakashi seemed to drift off with his thoughts for a while, his eyes wandering to some spot in an upper corner of the room. "Hm…" He cocked his head with another of those masked smiles forming on his face. "So that's why. Well anyway, I made it more like rice wine with eggs instead of the other way around, so it shouldn't be that bad. It's actually served hot, so that's probably another reason."

"And something like you calls himself a doctor," Naruto ground out through clenched teeth.

"But look, your voice is all better now! I bet your fever will be gone in no time as well."

Unconsciously, Naruto touched his throat and noted how the ache had almost instantly disappeared along with the near absence of his voice. "Th-Thanks. I guess." Naruto put on his shirt again as the man turned away.

"Then to the last part…" Kakashi muttered as he pulled open a drawer to take one black latex glove. "Stand up."

Again Naruto did as he was told, letting the man grab his shoulders and turn him around so he was facing the wall with the bed in front of him. His eyes widened though as Kakashi pushed him down so that he was bent over the edge of the bed. A hand wandered down his spine, before reaching the rim of his pants.

Kakashi's fingers made quick work of the zipper of the blond's pants, pulling down the back of Naruto's pants a little just a moment later. He felt the teen beginning to squirm. "The Akatsuki are important people," he whispered into Naruto's ear as he bent over the teen, "meaning we need to take certain precautions before _introducing_ you to them. I need to thoroughly _examine_ you to be sure that you actually come up to their expectations. Now spread your legs a little."

Gulping, Naruto swallowed down that little remaining shred of pride he had left and followed the instruction, his pants hanging around his hips. He knew that it was only another necessary step for a new chapter of his life to finally start. The squirting sound of lube coming out of a bottle reached his ears, before a cold and slippery finger prodded at his entrance, pushing in not even a second later. Feeling that finger thrusting in and out of him, Naruto bit his lips to keep any sounds from leaving his mouth. The stinging pain was nearly non-existent to him after so many years and he was able to somewhat dismiss it. He dug his nails into the sheets before him, unable to keep in a small gasp when another finger joined. Both curled and twisted within him, causing small groans to emerge from his throat. Naruto wasn't able to keep up his head, his face lowering to stare down at his own hands. A third finger was added, reaching in deeply, hitting that spot, and the blond couldn't help but buck against it, that rare tightness pooling in his stomach. Just when he was beginning to reach his peak, the fingers were gone all of a sudden, leaving behind something of an unsatisfied feeling. He nearly collapsed right then and there, barely holding himself up with his slightly shaky arms. Kakashi suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders again and turned him around.

The man's eyes carefully looked his face over, seeming keen on not missing a single detail. Not the dilated pupils, the slight flush, the brief sheen of sweat, the hitched breathing, the glassy eyes. None of it. Kakashi didn't miss anything. "You _seem_ fine enough," he stated after a while. "Now we'll only have to see how you will be in two hours when _they_ will arrive."

Naruto could only nod dumbly as Kakashi gave him a pat on the shoulder, then lead him out of the room after putting some kind of tube of ointment into his hand.

* * *

><p>One and a half hour passed and Naruto noticed how he was getting better by the minute. The pain in his chest remained whenever he took deep breaths, but other than that he felt like he was able to take on whatever the world would throw at him. Even Kakashi's ointment had helped against bruises and they were only faint discolorations on his skin now, barely noticeable. The pain killers were also doing their job well. Madara noticed this and gave his okay for Naruto to be <em>introduced<em> to the other Akatsuki members. A few weeks earlier, the blond never would have thought that he would actually want to do such a thing, but he kept telling himself that if he did well, it would be the last time. That his future would look brighter after this.

"Are you ready?" Madara asked him a while later, stepping into the room Naruto temporarily was staying in together with Suigetsu and Sai.

Gulping, the blond nodded and got up from his spot next to a sketching Sai on the red coach. He had slept for a while and now he finally felt like he wouldn't wince every time he moved wrong. And after the small shower in the adjacent bathroom, he felt refreshed like he never had before, for the first time in years having been able to enjoy the luxury that was warm water. Back at _home_, he never had been allowed to use up any of the hot water, which was reserved for Mizuki to use. Needless to say that Naruto learned this the hard way, like so many other things.

The dark-haired man stepped away from the room's entrance a bit. "Then come with me."

Naruto left the room, Madara on his heels. He was guided into another one which was right next to a closed room with an intricately designed dark red door. It was obvious that that room was the one the Akatsuki head members would soon be in.

"Put this on," Madara commanded as he held out a set of clothes for the teen before him. "Your current clothes usually would be fine, but since they are torn and dirty, they won't suffice."

A sigh passed the blond's lips as he weirdly glared at the clothes being pushed into his hands. They seemed fine enough as he put them on. A plain long-sleeved white shirt that loosely hugged his hips, dark-blue jeans and a forest-green jacket that reached his waist, its sleeves only reaching his elbows and letting the shirt sleeves peak out.

Madara pulled the shirt's sleeves a bit farther up so the teen's lower arms were exposed. He also let Naruto keep on his black sneakers and blue underwear, having the blond turn a few times and thoroughly looking him over. The man also strapped some leather bands and a black wristwatch around the blond's wrists. "You should look at least a little like a common teenager." And again he had the teen turn a few times, until he finally seemed satisfied.

At that moment, loud voices and the sound of many sets of steps approached.

"Looks like they're here," Madara mumbled, before pulling away to leave the room and welcome his guests. "Stay here and wait until I get you." With those words he left, his retreating form burned into the blond's mind for a while.

Naruto couldn't help but nervously start scratching his arm, already hearing many _male_ voices from afar. He had hoped that at least some females would be among the group, wishing those wouldn't _want_ anything from him. Or that, if anything, he wouldn't have to go through more pain than necessary. He then heard those voices passing the room he was in, along with the accompanying steps. He heard laughing, some groaning and hissing, grunts and something that sounded like a hand colliding with skin and a loudly screamed _Ow, that hurt, Master!_ in a voice that sounded oddly familiar.

A few minutes passed before the door to Naruto's room finally opened again.

"It's time." Madara stepped away from the door when Naruto approached, letting him walk in front of him. He lead the teen to the room next door and opened it without knocking beforehand. Pushing in the blond at his lower back, Madara walked in together with his employee.

Naruto gulped again as the entire room quieted down a bit, the laughters seizing, scowling as well as grinning and curious faces turning into his direction. He then caught sight of a certain face gaping into his direction. "Huh? Deidara-sempai?" he exclaimed, taking a startled step back. The moment he felt a glare on him though, he froze, turning his head to sheepishly glance at a rather dangerous-looking Madara. Naruto scratched his head, laughing nervously with hunched shoulders.

Madara lowered his head to whisper into the boy's ear. "Don't screw this up," he hissed perilously. He then bid the other occupants a good-bye with a small bow of his head, then left.

The door closed behind the man a moment later and left Naruto to just stand there being looked at by nine people sitting on the floor around a low table, only a single woman among them, each and everyone of them clad in high-collared black cloaks patterned with blood-red clouds. They were all weird. Very weird. The only person looking at least a bit normal was Deidara. All the others had at least one weird trait. It was either weird faces, blue skin, weirdly colored eyes or hair or just looking creepily young. It only now hit Naruto that there was another familiar face.

"S-Sasori-sensei?" he muttered, quietly this time in fear of Madara jumping him in rage over talking too loudly.

"Sensei?" a silver-haired man Naruto remembered as being Hidan mimicked with an amused expression. "You a teacher, Sasori?"

The red-haired man only glared at the other and continued letting his eyes trail over his startled student's face.

"He's working as an art teacher in my school," Deidara threw in, his head resting on one hand propped up on the table. "Wants to force his blabbering about eternal beauty on some poor kids, hm." A cold glare was sent his way, making the blond flinch a little. "Master, you really need to chill, hm."

Another glare.

During the one-sided argument, Naruto now realized that another person in the room seemed familiar. The man looked stern and was one of the only ones not staring at him the whole time. His long black hair was tied back into a low ponytail, his loose bangs reaching a bit past his chin. The most prominent features of his face weren't his dark-gray, nearly black eyes though, but the long pronounced tear troughs under his eyes. Naruto wondered if those were due to stress or an inherited trait. He couldn't remember where he had seen that face before. The man seemed oddly similar to the Uchiha, but he couldn't quite place why. It was frustrating.

"Naruto-kun…" a deep voice suddenly interrupted the teen's musings.

The blond's eyes shot to the man at the very head of the table, his chin resting on his laced fingers. "Y-Yeah? I mean _yes_?"

The orange-haired man with a vast number of facial piercings had something of a sly yet calm smile on his features as he lifted his face from his hands a bit. Naruto briefly wondered if he had piercings in other places too. "It's… interesting to finally be able to meet you. Madara-san has told me only good things about you."

That could either mean something bad or something good. Telling only good things could mean just that, or simply leaving out the bad things.

"I-It's great to meet you too," Naruto blurted out with a curt bow as he scratched the back of his head.

"Why don't you come sit down?" The blue-eyed man – that his eyes looked purple was definitely some kind of play of the light – beckoned the teen to come closer and sit down beside him.

Naruto warily closed the distance, walking past the other people around the table, and sat down on a spot next to the orange-haired man.

"I am Pain, the second leader and founder of Akatsuki," the detached-looking man stated. "We Akatsuki members sometimes come together for these meetings to catch up with each other and work out _plans_ for the future. Madara always has someone to entertain us, but this is the first time having someone with us that doesn't seem very experienced."

"I-I–"

"I like that." Pain's nearly sinister, almost unnoticeable smirk widened just a bit.

Naruto forced a smile, somehow trying to get his frenzied thoughts into order. "Thank you. I guess."

A low chuckle. "Did Madara tell you to _behave_?"

"No!" Naruto immediately replied, waving his hands. "I'm just–"

More chuckles. "You don't have to. Madara usually acts too overbearing when it comes to things like this. He doesn't want anything to go wrong. Everything has to go the way he plans it to and it usually does."

Slightly curious now, Naruto gazed at the man, intent on learning more from Pain, the man that seemed to, to some extent, know the enigma that was Madara.

"He claims that he encouraged me to found Akatsuki, making himself the co-founder. I do admit that he had something to do with it, but me founding Akatsuki had many reasons."

Naruto couldn't stop the question from leaving his mouth and he realized that too late. "Which would be?"

The almost non-existent smirk on Pain's face widened indiscernibly, his _blue_ eyes settling on the teen beside him. "In order to create peace."

Again, Naruto couldn't stop his trap from opening. "Through… crime?"

"In my opinion," the orange-haired man declared, "true peace can only be obtained by people experiencing true pain. Akatsuki's goal…" The man trailed off, cocking his head as he pondered, not taking his eyes off of the blond. "Well perhaps I'll tell you about that some other day. Now I'd like to introduce you to the rest of Akatsuki."

Naruto had leaned in just a tiny bit into the man, now blushing slightly as he pulled back and hoped no one had noticed.

"The man to your left is Uchiha Itachi," Pain started.

Now it finally came back to the teen: Itachi. The man that was able to shut up Uchiha Sasuke, the man that was the bastard's older brother. Naruto nodded towards the man's direction in a curt greeting. He was responded to with a smile that looked more sinister than anything else.

"Next to Itachi-san is his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame."

That was the dangerous-looking guy with blue skin, which – mind you – scared the shit out of Naruto. Usually people only had blue skin when chocking, but this man seemed perfectly healthy otherwise.

"You already seem to know Hidan," Pain continued. "His partner is Kakuzu."

Naruto was afraid of letting his eyes linger too long on the man's gut-wrenching, pupil-less green eyes. _Contacts?_ The blond had once heard of an illness mostly found in young children that turned the white of the eyes red with blood, but Kakuzu… seemed perfectly healthy otherwise.

"To the right we have Deidara and Sasori, both of them you already know. Then next to them are Konan, who is my partner, and Zetsu, Madara's partner."

_Oh fuck, they're even weirder._ Konan was a fairly attractive woman. As long as one didn't mind blue hair, stoic eyes and lip piercings. He didn't even want to take another look at Zetsu who redefined the entire meaning of _weird freak_. He looked like a huge human plant. A pantomimic one.

A sudden hand on Naruto's lower back, right above his ass, had the blond nearly jumping out of his skin with a gasp. His eyes shot to a smirking Pain, the smile on his face having gained something akin to amusement. Seeing his aloof and detached eyes though betrayed that impression.

"Why don't we leave for a short moment, Naruto-kun?" the man asked in a tone that didn't show what Pain's exact intent was, but one easily could read that from his choice of words.

_It's time_, Madara's words from earlier repeated in Naruto's mind. He told himself that this was his chance on a better life, the chance he absolutely couldn't screw up. That's why he nodded as he bit his lower lip and stood up together with the orange-haired man. Again he was lead into another room and this time heard a few snickers and grunts from the room he was leaving. Deidara sounded… _disappointed_ and was taking his negative mood out on Sasori by starting a fight over what true beauty was. Other people doing that would have appeared awkward, but somehow it seemed perfectly normal in Deidara's case.

The room Naruto then found himself in was the same one in which he had _attended_ to Deidara. There was a small difference though. The bed sheets were slightly nicer, the curtains slightly thicker and richer and the carpet was a tad softer. Many small things that changed the overall image of the entire room and made it _slightly_ more comfortable. Pain sat down on the bed and leaned back onto his hands. He seemed oddly comfortable, despite that detached look remaining on his face. Patting the spot next to him on the bed, he fixed Naruto with a curious gaze.

Like many other times that day, the blond gulped, before stepping forward and settling beside the man. Immediately after he felt a hand running up and down his back, lifting to his face after a while and grasping his chin that was turned so Naruto was facing Pain.

"Tell me, why are you doing this?"

Now that was unexpected.

Naruto could only blink in surprise for a moment, before he got a grip on himself again. "F-For… the money." In some way it was true.

"I see," Pain replied, letting his hand fall from Naruto. Instead he leaned in closer to the teen to whisper into the blond's ear. "Do you enjoy what you are doing? Deidara was quite pleased with your performance."

_Just how much did Deidara tell them?_ Naruto was about to reply, when a hot and wet tongue trailed along the shell of his ear. A blush immediately bloomed on the teen's face, strongly contrasting his bright hair and blue eyes. "I-I haven't…" He wasn't able to hold in a small gasp, "had many… clients yet."

Pain merely hummed in response, continuing his ministrations.

A hand briefly touched his whiskered cheek, then travelled lower, over his shoulder, his chest, his stomach. It lingered a little over his groin, then brushed over it just a tad and went straight for his thigh, nails digging into his skin with only little force. A moan escaped from Naruto's lips, the teen not used to being tended to like that. With mild horror he realized that he was actually supposed to please Pain, not the other way around. "P-Pain… sama…" he choked out through pants. He remembered how Mizuki had once forced him to address him like some kind of master or king and how much it had… turned the man on.

"Usually," Pain whispered in a husky voice as he released the teen's ear, "I'd tell you not to address me with any formal suffixes. But strangely enough, I can't get myself to do so now."

From there on it went excruciatingly slow and Naruto found himself wanting nothing more than blissful release. It was a kind of torture he never had been exposed to. The torture of being deprived control over his own needs.

Pain only slowly made for Naruto's pants, distracting the teen with a kiss. He chuckled as the blond was all to eager, teeth clashing against teeth, tongues tangling. He guessed that the other wasn't even aware of having moved into his lap. Somehow, throughout the fumbling and groping, the man managed to free the teen of his pants.

What then followed was the most blissful and pleasurable thing Naruto had ever experienced. With Kiba it had been mostly the friction and bucking that had driven him over the edge. A _lot_ of friction had been involved. He didn't even have to start on Mizuki and his pleasure-less and senseless fucking. But Pain actually hit some spot within Naruto dead-on a few times that had him moaning uncontrollably. The blond's mind somehow went into a drunken state where his movements turned out sluggish and his vocal cords were producing nothing but sounds of lust. Unconsciously, Naruto tightly dug his fingers into the back of Pain's cloak when he came sitting in the man's lap.

"And I haven't even touched you," Pain mumbled in a low, slightly hitched voice, his hand wandering downward to the teen's cock that had sprayed him with sticky release. "Is this your first orgasm of this kind?"

Naruto was so out of it he didn't notice a small trail over saliva running down from the corner of his lips. His face buried in Pain's neck anyway and having faintly registered the orange-haired man's words, he nodded dumbly.

"Tell me your full name," Pain demanded.

The blond hesitated a bit, having experienced so many bad reactions from people upon hearing his last name. "U-Uzumaki… Naruto."

What Naruto didn't see was Pain's aloof expression breaking up all of a sudden to show genuine surprise. "Uzumaki?" he repeated slowly. "What was your mother's name?"

"Ku… K-Kushina."

Hearing the name, a small smile curled Pain's pale lips. "Interesting."

Naruto was recovering only in a very slow pace and unlike his heated body, his breathing didn't calm. It remained hitched and hoarse. Pain originated from the front of his chest, panic beginning to clog his mind when he couldn't slow down his breath. His sight blurred, the room suddenly spinned and he was beginning to feel dizzy and nauseous. His fingers curled in Pain's Akatsuki cloak tightened their grip.

"In case you need anything in the future, tell me." No response. "Naruto-kun?" Pain now noticed that something wasn't right. Irregular and frantic, nearly hyperventilating breathing like that wasn't normal. He straightened up a bit and turned his head to try and see the teen's face. He could only see blond hair. "Naruto-kun?" he tried again.

His calls were drowned out when Naruto suddenly stopped breathing and collapsed on top of a now mildly disturbed Akatsuki member.

* * *

><p>How do you organize a party in space? And: What's black and sits alone on a sofa? Is it weird to say <em>lol<em> out loud instead of laughing, then going _"Scheiße!"_ immediately after for doing so? I guess not. Hmm…

The above is what happens when an author doesn't know what to write in their A/N, but is too perfectionist to _not_ write anything at all.

Next chapter: Before It's Too Late

– Murasaki B


	20. Before It's Too Late

Since it seems like I'm incapable of actually updating on every second Friday, I'll from now on _try_ to update on Friday, but if not, update on Saturday. I do remember to update on Fridays in the morning, but I forget until I get home from school.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XX<span>  
><span>– Before It's Too Late –<span>

"What happened?" Tsunade shouted over the noise she was causing, frantically shuffling around shelves, grabbing sterile syringes and needles, pulling open drawers to fetch an infusion bag. Shizune, her assistant, was running around just as wildly.

"Um…" _Quick, think something up. You can't possibly tell her what _really_ happened_. "Naruto suddenly came running to my place and collapsed in front of my door," Suigetsu replied. "A guy living a few doors down is a doctor and he took care of some injuries Naruto had. He was out for a while, but my neighbor looked him over again when he woke up and said he was fine after giving him some medicine, saying it was just a cold. Later we ran around a little, wrestled a bit, you know. Just for fun. He suddenly just… hyperventilated or something and passed out and wasn't breathing anymore. We were barely able to get him to breathe again."

A nasty scowl settled on the busty woman's face. "Whoever diagnosed a cold is a total moron!" Tsunade yelled furiously. "Naruto is suffering from a severe case of viral pneumonia. He seems to not have breathed for a while. The oxygen flow to his brain has been cut off for too long, meaning he could fall into a coma. He could die!"

Suigetsu took a step back as if slapped. His face was contorted into an expression of shock, Sai next to him only slightly better composed. The severity of the situation hit the until then completely clueless teen like a brick. "I didn't think…"

Once Naruto had passed out on top of Pain, the man had notified Madara, who had assigned Suigetsu and Sai the job of taking care of the blond and bringing him to a hospital. Since nobody at the hospital was willing to even get close to Naruto and Tsunade worked there once school ended, for she had debts to pay off, the busty woman was the one now trying to save the teen's life.

"Shit," the blond woman hissed as she pressed a gas mask over Naruto's face, while Shizune inserted a needle into the blond's arm that was connected to an infusion. "He doesn't only suffer from pneumonia, but also at least one or possibly several broken rib. He's also malnourished. Even if I can save him from dying of a pulmonary edema or the infection, the broken rib could puncture his lung. The following pneumothorax would kill him." The woman caught a small glance of the two teens standing in the door frame shooting her quizzical looks and her gaze immediately hardened. "He could either die from fluid accumulating in his lung, from the infection or from air collecting between his lung and his chest wall!"

A worried frown formed on the purple-eyed teen's face as everything slowly began to sink in. "So it's this bad," he mumbled and glanced sideways to look at Sai. "Do you think he'll really…"

Sai usually kept to himself, not quite able to handle Suigetsu most of the time. But now the other wasn't his usual boisterous and obnoxious self. He smiled sadly, but genuinely when he replied. "Everything will be fine."

_Doesn't help, dip shit. _"I hope so," Suigetsu mumbled lowly, his head dropping and his eyes fixing on the floor. "Would be fucking stupid if it wouldn't."

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Tsunade finally decided to rest in a chair beside the bed Naruto was on, Shizune already having left a few minutes earlier. She had stabilized Naruto as good as her abilities allowed her to. After pumping him up with several different medications, all she now could do was have him rest and sleep the infection off and let his broken bones and wounds heal up. She wasn't sure yet if the teen was in a coma or not. Fearing the worst, she didn't dare search for signs. Yet.<p>

For a while the woman just sat beside Naruto, staring down at his unusually pale face. She desperately tried to ignore the bruises around his lower lip, tried to block out the fact that she was sure where bruises like that came from. And she was far from _completely_ examining the teen's body, worried over what she would find. She wasn't scared. At least she tried to tell herself that.

A few minutes ticked by before Tsunade finally calmed her thoughts and decided to see what kind of state exactly the teen was in. She pulled a small flashlight from a drawer and approached the bed, when suddenly the door to the room flew open and slammed against the wall beside it.

"Kiba-kun's dying over there, you know!" Sakura yelled, waving a balled fist at the woman.

The startled expression vanished from Tsunade face and was replaced by a stern scowl. She was about to speak up, when she was silenced by the shell-shocked look on Sakura's now white face. Dropping her scowl, she twisted her body too look back at Naruto. "He was brought here a while after Kiba," she answered the unasked question that hung in the tense air.

"I-I see." Sakura tore her eyes away from the sight of the seemingly living corpse on the bed. "I guess… I'll tell the others then." Despite her words, she took a step forward instead of back as if wanting to get to Naruto's side as quickly as possible. Mid-step she changed her mind though and turned abruptly to leave with her head lowered.

Tsunade sighed as she watched the pink-haired girl leave with grief lining her features, having a hunch that things would never be the same now.

* * *

><p>"He's here too?" Kiba shot up from his lying position, only to flinch, groan and fall back down whining. Even Akamaru whimpered next to him on the floor. The dog tried to soothe his injured master by resting his head on the teen's lap, calming down only when Kiba stroked his white fur with a small smile.<p>

In Konoha Hospital, certain pets were allowed in some wards. Only in wards where patients had weak immune systems and were prone to infections or viruses dogs were prohibited. A special permission from a head doctor was still needed either way. Good for Kiba, who had to deal with several broken and bruised bones.

"He was unconscious when I got there," Sakura replied, seeming as if in a daze. "Tsunade-sama also looked… disturbed."

The others in the room, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Shino and Hinata, all shot expectant looks at the pink-haired girl. Some of them seemed scared, worried or down-right shocked at the news. Neither of them had known what to expect.

"Is it that bad?" Ino questioned with a fearful expression.

Shaking her head, Sakura kept her eyes on the white-tiled floor, unable to move her head much. "I don't know."

"Didn't you ask her?"

The pink-haired girl only shrugged weakly and failed to notice the obvious accusation in that question. "I left once I saw… him."

"Wh-Why did you leave?" Kiba nearly yelled, almost sitting up again, but deciding otherwise.

"I just…" Sakura broke out into her habit of nervously rubbing her arm, feeling uncomfortable with everyone's eyes on her like that, "I just can't deal with him right now. When I see him, I feel like I'll cry any moment only because I can't stand his… his… those _eyes_ of his. Looking at me as if he doesn't care. About anything. Not about us, not about me, not about _himself_! I just can't deal with it anymore."

When no one said anything and was silenced by the girl's words, Kiba was the one to break that silence. "Stupid. Aren't you his friend?"

"I am! That's why I can't deal with it! I've been friends with him since kindergarden! We built clay figures in elementary school together, he got into so many fights in middle school to protect me _and_ himself and in high school… all of that was just… _gone_."

Not wanting to upset the nearly crying girl further, no one said anything, not even Kiba. Most just stared at the floor, at the walls, or out of the window.

"Wow, I really need to learn to read the atmosphere." An apologetic, but still shark-like grin appeared on Suigetsu's face as all eyes turned to him and Sai. He scratched the back of his head, trying to dissolve the heavy atmosphere he had stepped in on. "Uh… Well the blond chick kinda threw us out after a while and now we don't have anything to do and so… Yeah. I heard you guys mentioning blondie and thought I'd join, cause we were the ones that brought him here."

"You were?" Ino turned around to face the white-haired teen properly. "Can you tell us what happened? All we know is that he was brought here and has been unconscious since then."

Suigetsu looked as if he was pondering what to say and what not to say before he answered. He decided to stick to his story rather quickly, seeing it was the safest way to go. "He came to my place and collapsed in front of my door. I brought him to a neighbor who's a doctor, he told us it was just a cold and sent him off. A while later we fooled around a little and Naruto just suddenly hyperventilated or something and stopped breathing."

For the first time, Shikamaru spoke up after having silently watched and listened the entire time. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Uh…" Suigetsu blew a puff of breath through his lips as he rummaged through his memories and tried to remember what Tsunade had said. There had been so many complicated words involved and he barely remembered what exactly she had explained.

"Tsunade-sama told us that his condition is critical," Sai responded cooly. "He seems to have broken ribs that could pierce his lung and kill him. What seems to be the most dangerous right now is his pneumonia that not only could kill him through the infection, but also with the liquid collecting between his lung. The fact that he is malnourished doesn't make it better as well. I also think that Tsunade-sama is still hiding something about his condition."

Naturally, everyone in the room was shocked. The mere thought of Naruto dying seemed unreal, _impossible_ even. Judging by his coughs earlier, no one would have thought how serious it had actually been. If only they had paid more attention.

"Fuck," Kiba mumbled, covering his face with one arm.

"Who are you anyway?" Shikamaru suddenly asked, somewhat changing the topic in vain.

Another of his trademark shark-grins appeared on Suigetsu's face and effectively startled the occupants of the room with his sharp teeth. "We're friends of his. We know him outside of school. Our… activities outside of school are similar, that's how we met. I'm Suigetsu and this pale-ish guy is Sai."

"What activity would that be?" the pony-tailed teen interrogated further, his eyebrows creasing together.

Suigetsu's face turned more serious now and he briefly looked at Sai before he spoke. "You should ask him that yourself."

"I can imagine what kind of _activity_ that is," Sasuke suddenly spat from his spot in a corner of the room, calmly sitting in a gray chair. He turned his glare to Suigetsu, fixing him with a scowl that barely hid his aggression. "How did Naruto end up with the same activity as _you_, Suigetsu?"

"Sasuke," Suigetsu sighed as if this kind of argument happened often, "you make it sound like it's–"

"Disgusting? Low? _Illegal_?"

"You know pretty well that _that _isn't illegal. We're not…" Trailing off, Suigetsu rubbed his forehead. "Anyway, we've been kinda taking care of Naruto a few times, so I consider him a friend. Anything against that, _Sasuke_?"

A sarcastic grunt came from the raven's direction. "Using loopholes in the law like that. It should be punished."

"Well at least _I_ didn't turn into a fucking depressive bum just cause some bad stuff happened to me, unlike _you. _A least _I_ can see when someone's trying to manipulate me. Unlike that brother of yours." When Suigetsu saw the Uchiha's onyx eyes narrow, he sighed heavily and in an annoyed fashion. "Sorry. That was low." A frown settled on the teen's face as his eyebrows knit together. "Great, I was trying to lighten the mood and it takes only a few seconds for your constant fuck-my-life-attitude to infect me too."

The banter between the two teens seemed incredibly unbelievable to everyone else present. Sasuke apparently had something close to _friends_ outside of school, a thing hard to believe for the high schoolers. Everyone knew that many members of the Uchiha family had been killed when they all had been in elementary school, only the exact way was a mystery yet to be resolved.

Suigetsu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Sasuke's arm to pull him out of the chair and towards the door. "I'm gonna go see blondie no matter what busty blondie says."

"Do what you want, but don't drag me along with you," Sasuke hissed dangerously, from the corner of his eyes seeing the others contemplating if they should go as well or stay with Kiba.

Anyone else would have let go of the raven's arm immediately as if burned just hearing the venom in his voice. But not Suigetsu. "You're coming with me," he replied, ignoring the scowl drilling into the back of his head as he stepped out of the room with the teen, Sai silently following behind them. "I know you care about him more than you're letting on, so it's important that you see him at least once before he…"

"Before he what?"

Suigetsu turned his head to give the Uchiha a grin. "Before you won't have a chance to anymore."

The frowning Sasuke only now noticed that they were entering the emergency department of the hospital. When he was pulled into one certain room far away from the big emergency room by his white-haired companion, he almost walked into Suigetsu who suddenly stopped walking and was rooted in place in the doorframe. "What…" Sasuke trailed off as he noticed Tsunade sitting in her chair next to Naruto, her devastated expression causing different horrible scenarios to play out in the teen's mind.

Only one sentence was enough to make it clear how severe the situation was.

"Naruto has fallen into a coma."

* * *

><p>"Idiot. It's unbelievable how idiotic only one person can be. Even if you're a split personality, it seems like Naruto's idiocy can't be overcome. Fucking dumbass."<p>

"Are you done cursing Naruto now?" Kiba inquired from his wheelchair as Shino pushed the teen inside.

One would think that having several broken and sprained bones would bind someone to a bed for a long time, but knowing an influential doctor personally had its advantages.

Sasuke looked up from staring at the motionless face of his once obnoxious rival to send a scowl at the brunet teen across from him. "Hn."

It had been four days since Naruto had been brought to the hospital. Four days earlier, the others had been in Kiba's room, processing what both Sai and later Tsunade had told them. Most of them weren't ready to actually see Naruto yet. Suigetsu and Sai had promptly left in a hurry once the white-haired one among the two had received a phone call. From who, no one beside those two and perhaps Naruto knew.

"I mean, you've been sitting here at least three hours a day ever since Tsunade-sama told us about this whole coma-thing like some… depressive bum." Kiba couldn't prevent himself from flinching when the raven-haired teen sent him that same glare he had shot Suigetsu. "B-Besides, Tsunade-sama said his chances are good that he'll wake up, remember?"

"How is a seventy percent chance a good chance?" Sasuke shot back with his scowl unwavering. "There's still a thirty percent chance of him not waking up at all."

A dramatic sigh left the Inuzuka's mouth as Shino wheeled him further into the room so he was next to Naruto and able to look at Sasuke on the opposite side. "It's Naruto. He won't die, easy as that."

"Hn."

"Anyway," Kiba drawled loudly, "Ino brought something fun."

Only now Sasuke took a peek at what was in the other's lap as Kiba picked it up with his bandaged arms, his left wrist and his right lower arm sprained.

Kiba ignored the pain in his right shoulder that had had to be popped back into its joints. "It's some book named _Psychological Facts_. Tsunade-sama said there's a chance Naruto can hear us, but can't respond. We thought he'd be bored lying here all day without being able to do anything. Maybe this'll cheer him up."

"Do what you like," Sasuke responded carelessly with a dismissing wave of his hand.

A grin appeared on the brunet's bruised face and he flashed Shino a thumbs-up, before opening the black book he was holding. "Let's see…" He started to look through the pages, his eyes widening only seconds later. "Hey! I think this could be interesting for you, Sasuke. Psychological Fact number 28: All emotional pain lasts twelve minutes, anything longer is self-inflicted."

"Why should that interest me?"

Kiba shrunk back a little in his wheelchair noticing the atmosphere suddenly shifting negatively. "Oh, ah… nothing. On to the next one!" The teen skipped back to the very front of the book with a childishly bright, though mostly nervous, smile. "Psychological Fact number 1: Anati… um… Anati… d-dae… phobia, right… Anati…daephobia is the fear that somewhere in the world, there is a duck watching you." Kiba went silent for a moment to let an astonished expression line his features, before breaking out into hysterics. "Seriously?" he wheezed out after a while of trying to catch his breath, then slowly calmed down as he eyed the other facts spread over the pages. When he turned a few pages and started reading, a yawn escaped his mouth. "This is fucking creepy! Psychological Fact number 59: Yawning is contagious. Even thinking about yawning is enough. After reading this, there's a fifty percent chance that you will yawn."

No one saw the way Shino's and Sasuke's jaw twitched for a moment.

"Isn't that creepy?" Kiba yelled loudly, flinching a little when pain erupted from his chest, his bruised ribs aching and Akamaru whining quietly. "I actually–"

_"You can't just go in there like that!"_ someone suddenly yelled from outside.

Looking at each other quizzically, Sasuke and Kiba could hear heavy steps approaching along with the shouts of both doctors, nurses, and Tsunade furiously yelling at someone_._

All of a sudden, the door burst open to reveal a man with wild brown hair dressed in a long dark-gray coat, his face partially hidden by sunglasses. He stalked towards Naruto's bed and ignored the yells and shouts, stopping only when he could look down at the comatose blond. "Fucking douche waffle," was all he mumbled before he lowered his face to the blond's.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing?" Kiba yelled, wincing a bit in pain as he angrily punched and clawed at the man's back from his wheelchair, trying to get the stranger away from Naruto, while Sasuke just stared incredulously. The Inuzuka recognized the man as being the one that had kidnapped Naruto and even though the blond had told him that the man was an old friend, he just couldn't get himself to trust him.

Tsunade now came stalking into the room having bloody murder written all over her furious face. "If you don't step back from him this instance, I will punch you so hard even your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren will be born dizzy and with a concussion, black eyes, no teeth and several broken facial bones!"

"Jeez, you're too fucking loud, old hag," the stranger mumbled as he straightened up again and turned around pressing a hand to one of his ears. "Maybe someone would actually fuck you if you wouldn't act as if you're high on testosterone all the time. You're obviously under-fucked." Ignoring the woman, he leaned back down to Naruto and pressed his forehead against the blond's again and closed his eyes.

An angry blush quickly spread on the woman's face as she marched towards the man in rage. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that!"

"I think I'm the guy that just woke up fucking sleeping beauty."

Voices silenced, jaws dropped and eyes widened as cerulean eyes suddenly blearily blinked open. They focused on the partially obscured face above, blinking as they struggled to recognize it.

"Tell them I'm a legit person, fugde packer." The brown-haired man cocked his head as dry lips parted a while later, but no words sounded. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw panic and fear in those sky-blue eyes. "I think… he turned mute."

More silence.

Someone broke it of course, as always in these kinds of situations.

"What?" Kiba yelled, breaking out into tiny yelps of pain afterwards.

* * *

><p>Hands gently scrutinized Naruto's throat and fingers gingerly ran over his neck. Tsunade's expression was stern and tense when she started to shake her head as she was unable to find an answer.<p>

"Putting aside the question of how exactly you just randomly woke up from a coma like that, I can't find anything that could be wrong with your vocal cords. Your throat is a bit inflamed from the infection, but you should be able to talk. Just try. It could be a side effect of your medication, or symptoms of your pneumonia, but you should be able to talk fine in a few hours again. I'll have to check your brain to see if something is damaged there. I probably should do a full body examination to see even small things, now that I think about it. You may have some internal injuries that have to be dealt with." She briefly caught the look of sudden panic and fear on Naruto's face and focused her gaze on him. "What's wrong?"

The blond only wildly shook his head in silence.

"I think he doesn't _want_ a full body check," the brown-haired stranger threw in cockily, making Tsunade scowl at him.

She wanted to kick the foul-mouthed man out, but Naruto refused to let go of his sleeve. Everyone else had already been thrown out though.

The woman turned back around and cocked an eyebrow with a questioning look directed at Naruto. "Is that true?" She inwardly groaned when the teen nodded in affirmative, a sigh passing her pink lips. Tsunade pressed a few fingers against the bridge of her nose. "I have to, brat. We won't know what's wrong with you unless I properly examine you. All I did until now was taking care of things that needed to be done the most. There still could be things dangerous to you. If you do have internal bleedings, you could die within the next hours. Or even within the next minutes." Sadness crossed the blond's face when Naruto backed away further on the bed as she approached. "Na–"

"I'll talk to him. _Alone_." Kyuubi sent the woman a meaningful look, urging her to leave with his stare.

Not quite trusting the man, but admitting that he seemed to be able to handle Naruto, Tsunade nodded curtly and left the room. Once outside she was faced with the worried faces of Naruto's friends, minus Kiba, Hinata and Shino, who all were in the Inuzuka's room. "What is this?" she barked in an agitated manner. "Some kind of get-together? Don't you have homes to go back to or homework to do?"

"We're worried," was all Shikamaru said and it was enough to make Tsunade's mouth snap shut and stalk away in order to calm her nerves with a good old bottle of sake.

Meanwhile, inside Naruto's room the brown-haired man had sat down beside the blond and now was resting on a chair with his arms lazily lying atop the bed's edge.

"You have to do it, fuck wand," he mumbled, knowing _someone_ outside was trying to listen in on them. He could feel those curious eyes peeking inside through a small slit in the door. The door was in his exact line of view too. His red eyes narrowed though as the blond shook his head again. "Why the fuck not?" the brunet yelled now.

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but quickly remembered that he couldn't. His eyes shifted around the room as if trying to find a way to convey what he wanted to say.

A sigh left the man's mouth as he got up from his chair and walked around the room. He quickly found a pencil and even some worn paper in the drawer of a desk. Carelessly throwing the items into Naruto's lap, he dropped back down into his chair and watched the teen writing his message. Once the blond was done after a few moments, the blue-eyed teen handed him the piece of paper.

_I don't want anyone to know, Kyuubi. It's already bad the way it is and if anything gets out, I won't ever live any of this down. They'll only smother me with pity and always remind me of it._

"You don't know that," the actually red-haired man stated in a low voice. "Besides, don't you want that fucking cock mongrel Mizuki behind bars? It'll be a lot easier once you have actual proof, a medical record that shows exactly what the hell he did to you. That Kiba dude's family is already suing him for battery anyway. With child abuse, rape and forced prostitution added to his charge, he won't get out of prison for a_ long_ time. I'll kill him myself if his soon-to-be cell mates don't get the chance to."

Usually people said something like that as a joke. Naruto dared to think Kyuubi was serious. Frowning, the blond started to scribble something onto the paper again.

_Can't I go on without having to tell anyone about all this?_

"Life's not that easy, moron. Either suck it up or stay with McFagget." Yet again Kyuubi sighed as he slumped a bit in his seat and rested his chin on a propped up arm. "Listen, I'll offer you a deal."

Naruto's interest was peeked as was that of their audience, who could only follow the general flow of the conversation by the changing expressions on the blond's face, unable to catch the words spoken.

"Let Tsunade do that full body check. In exchange, I'll answer whatever questions you may have. About me and about your parents. About what happened three years ago."

Naruto was quick to reply. _Something happened three years ago?_, he questioned with a startled expression.

Kyuubi cocked his head and nodded. He waited for Naruto's answer and watched him lower his paper, then dropping his head, shoulders slumping, then staring at his lap. The redhead cocked his head into the other direction as he waited for a response, even started to tap his fingers against his cheek. He perked up just a bit when Naruto turned his face to look at him.

With uncertainty still clearly plastered on the teen's face, Naruto nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"He's asleep right now," Tsunade whispered, careful not to wake the teen behind the door she was standing in front of. "Somewhere throughout the check-up he was able to talk a bit again. He fell asleep after a while though, probably from the exhaustion, and wouldn't wake up. I had an x-ray, an MRI and a CT done during that time and apparently his left wrist is broken multiple times. And as I thought, he has two broken ribs, while three others are a little bruised."<p>

The group of teens before the woman listened closely to every word spoken, nodding every now and then with their moods darkening by the minute.

"He's also a bit underweight. I took a blood sample and all I can say now is that the iron level in his blood is very low because of that, but other than that, he isn't overly malnutritioned. We'll have to wait for the results of the other tests. Right now he's still not completely out of danger. His lung could collapse at any time and if he starts coughing violently, he could die of his lung being punctured. The chance is slim though. It's a miracle nothing happened when he ran away from his father." The blond sighed and her shoulders slumped. It had been a long day after all and she felt drained off of energy to the bone. "All we can do now is wait and hope the medication is effective and that he heals up properly."

Shikamaru eyed and watched Tsunade carefully. Something was off. Something was definitely off. In the beginning, when the blonde had started to speak, he had expected very bad news, but what had been said until now hadn't been _that_ bad. Depressing and worrying, yes, but not world-shattering. There was hope. Despite that, she seemed troubled, her eyes darted around the room and she unconsciously bit her thumb nail every now and then throughout speaking. A habit of hers when she was nervous. "You found something else too. Something worrying."

Startled, Tsunade eyes shifted to the brunet. "I have, but it's not my place to tell you."

"You already told us so much," Sakura cut in eagerly. "Why are you hiding something, Tsunade-sama?"

"It falls under medical confidentiality."

No one could actually argue with that, not even Shikamaru. There was only so much he could find out through mere questions. Tsunade had disregarded that exact medical confidentiality she was speaking of in the past, but she could still use it as an excuse.

"How many times has Naruto visited Kurenai?" Tsunade suddenly wanted to know out of the blue.

"As far as I know, only once," Shikamaru replied, trying to figure out why exactly she wanted to know.

The woman nodded, seeming to think something over. "I think I'll have to get her here."

Immediately, many images raced through Ino's mind, most of them not very pleasant "What? Why?"

"He probably needs her more than you thought," Tsunade declared lowly, her cryptic words hanging heavily in the silent air, making it thick with tension.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama," a timid voice penetrated he sudden silence.

Everyone turned to see Hinata poking her head out of Kiba's room a few doors down the corridor.

"Kiba-kun would like to… visit Naruto-kun."

Grunting exasperatedly, Tsunade threw her head back dramatically. "He's already been up too much. Actually, he shouldn't have been up at all." Her head snapped back again to let the full force of her glare bore a hole into the group of teens' faces. "I also shouldn't have been telling you guys anything at all about Naruto's condition either, since you're not immediate family. I'm already stretching my boundaries with what I'm doing right now."

_"I already told you!" _Kiba's voice bellowed from afar, making Hinata pull her head back into the room in surprise._ "I'm totally fine!"_

"You can't even walk, dumbass!" Tsunade yelled back. "Just stay in bed until I say you can move again!"

_"Tsunade-sama!" _Now that voice was unfamiliar. It sounded irritated, coming from behind a closed door somewhere in the corridor._ "There are patients who need rest in this hospital, so stop yelling around like that!"_

_"But I want out of this fucking bed!" _Being denied his wishes and feeling neglected as a patient, Kiba only got even more riled up.

_"I don't care!" _the unfamiliar voice piped up again._ "There are other pa–"_

_"Stop yelling like that, Kotetsu!"_

_"I'm telling Tsunade-san and that punk to be quiet!"_

_"Then first stop yelling yourself!"_

_"You're yelling too, Izumo!"_

The banter went on like that for a long while even when something repeatedly and quickly tapped over the tiled floor. Once Tsunade caught sight of it, it only intensified her growing ire.

"That damn dog of his could get me fired," she mumbled, disregarding the fact that she was the chief physician of the hospital as well as invaluable due to her unequaled skills. It was the reason no one could actually doubt any of her decisions.

Unperturbed by the commotion, Akamaru happily wagged his tail as he approached Naruto's room. He was virtually elated to be of use to his master. The piece of paper clamped between his teeth was slightly moist with saliva when he easily pushed open the door to Naruto's room and entered. Finding the boy sleeping, he jumped onto his bed with his forelegs, dropped the paper and started to lick Naruto's face. It took a while until the blond finally opened his eyes with confusion, only to find Akamaru in his face.

Naruto released a silent gasp, but calmed once he saw the piece of paper the dog had brought and sat up carefully. His curiosity kicked in, so he carefully unfolded the message and started to read.

_How did you get away from your dad? And what's with you and those weird guys? Sai and what-was-his-friggin-name._

– _Kiba_

Kyuubi, who had left for a bit saying he needed to take care of some business, had left the pen from earlier on the small table next to Naruto's bed. Swiping the black pen, Naruto promptly scribbled an answer, but stopped mid-way, Akamaru cocking his head at the action. "Shit," the blond mumbled. "Akamaru," he cooed with his still hoarse voice nearly breaking. "Get me my phone, okay?" He snarled inwardly when the dog only cocked his head in question. "_Phone_," Naruto repeated, wildly gesturing towards the table on the other side of the room, the table on which his phone was placed. "That thing with the monitor and uh… the buttons. _Phone._" Coughing, he quickly realized that too much talking caused him pain.

Wagging his tail, Akamaru jumped away and off the bed, then ran towards the table Naruto had motioned to.

Naruto smiled, feeling victorious. But that only lasted until the dog came back with a vase. The slender cylindric glass pot fit snugly between Akamaru's teeth as the flowers along with the water slowly drizzled out and smashed onto the floor with wet noises. A single blond eyebrow twitched. "_Phone_."

Akamaru panted excitedly as he ran off again. Out of the room. The sound of his paws fading into nothingness. Leaving behind Naruto to glare after the white giant in an annoyed fashion. This time the dog came back with a slim black tire.

"Where the fuck did you get that?" Naruto hissed, knowing he couldn't be too loud. "_Phone_! _Phone_ for fuck's sake! The buzzy thingy that vibrates and rings!" He nearly cried when he tried to hold in the coughs he knew would be violent, remembering how he could injure himself from exactly that.

Akamaru just sat there, awaiting praise for fulfilling his orders as well as Naruto giving him the message he should bring back to his master.

"The buzzy thingy!"

Huffing, Akamaru casually trotted towards the table and finally closed his teeth around Naruto's phone, then strolled back to Naruto's side. Almost as if he had known all along what exactly the teen had wanted.

"Yes, yes! That thing!"

Then Akamaru dropped the phone on the floor, sat down and again awaited his longed for praise.

Naruto suppressed a sneer and his urge to punch the dog. "Good boy."

Wagging his tail again, the white dog picked the phone back up and gave it to the teen, who immediately punched in a series of numbers, mumbling another "Good boy".

_"What?" _came Kyuubi's fierce voice.

"I need Suigetsu's number."

_"Who the fuck's–"_

"Kyuubi, please, you know _every_ number on this fucking planet. Hurry, I don't have much time."

_"Fine, fine."_

Moments later, Naruto was dialing another number and starting to get nervous.

_"Who the hell is this? How did you get this number?"_ Trust Suigetsu to be one of the only people in the world to not greet someone on the phone like a normal person.

"It's Naruto," the blond replied curtly, his throat aching again. "What did you tell the others? Kiba's asking me who you are and our stories need to align."

_"Uh… I just told them you came to my place, that Kakashi took care of you and told us you had a cold and that you suddenly collapsed not breathing when we played around a little."_

"'Kay, thanks." Naruto ended the call just like that and quickly finished his message.

_Took me a while to actually get away. Had to hide all the time and keep making the distance to him a bit larger, but after a while I just ran. Suigetsu's a friend of mine and I went to his place cause his was the only one I knew the address of that was close enough. Sai is another friend. What happened to you? Are you in hospital too?_

– _Naruto_

He gave the paper to Akamaru, who happily skipped away. It only took a few minutes until the dog returned.

_Yeah, I am. Pretty annoying. I feel a little bad saying this, but your dad's a total ass. Looks like he just marched right trough Sasuke and the others and they couldn't even stop him. He kept beating me and trying to throw me off. I couldn't hold him down for long and once Sasuke and some teachers came, I was knocked out and your dad was gone. Asuma-sensei called the police and now they're searching for him. Even though he hurt me, I feel kinda bad that my mom's suing your dad now. _

Naruto sighed heavily as he wrote his reply. So Mizuki would get sued and with the evidence, enough witnesses and Kiba's testimony, he would be put into prison for a few months. In that time, Naruto would be able to begin his life the way he wanted it. His reply was written with a sad smile curling his lips.

_Agreed, my dad's an asshole. _

He didn't know what else to say. Had he been talking with Kiba face to face, he didn't think he could have so openly spoken with him. The last time they had talked properly had not ended well and he knew Kiba had been holding something of a grudge against him. But the Inuzuka coming to his rescue had changed a lot.

_"I've had enough!"_ Tsunade's enraged voice suddenly roared. _"Kiba! Keep your damn pet in your room or I'll castrate both of you with a rusty spoon, even if Akamaru is _already_ castrated!"_

A loud yelp sounded down the corridor and Naruto could easily guess who it had come from. He chuckled when the door to his room opened and he almost hoped that it was Akamaru, but quickly realized that that was impossible with Tsunade's rage directed at the dog as well as his master. Instead, Kyuubi was entering the room now.

"Smother me with your questions, ass diver!"

* * *

><p>Be honest: Who of you actually yawned?<p>

Since the innuendo in what Suigetsu was saying is probably unclear (intentionally, cause we don't want the others to know, right?), I'll explain: I'm going by Japanese law here, even if it's not taking place in Japan, and there, prostitution is prohibited, though the law allows many loopholes. Suigetsu is referring to one of those, since male on male prostitution is not forbidden, per say. Well, at least the way males _interact _with other males isn't, if you know what I mean.

Originally, Naruto was supposed to go completely mute for a while, but then I wrote the part with him _conversing_ with Akamaru and only later realized that he wasn't supposed to talk. But I liked that part so much, so I didn't delete it and instead altered the entire chapter a bit. I also would have liked to stretch out the first part so much that Tsunade revealing the coma-thing would come at the very end of the chapter and create a _Dun Dun Duuuun-_moment, but that was impossible with how short the first few paragraphs were and how much stuff was supposed to happen afterwards while Naruto was awake. And him waking up from his coma was pretty easy to predict, so I think it's fine this way too.

Next chapter: Those Three Words

– Murasaki B


	21. Those Three Words

Looks like I am capable of manipulating my readers into yawning. Now _yawn_. Yawning is nice, you know. I know you want to yawn really bad now. I even made myself yawn by writing this.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXI<span>  
><span>– Those Three Words –<span>

"Cheer and fall to your knees, for I have arrived!" was what Kyuubi yelled as he burst into Naruto's hospital room with his arms spread out wide and a paper bag in one hand.

And all that Naruto replied was "Do you have my burger?".

The redhead hidden beneath that brown-haired wig slumped his shoulders in mock disappointment. "At least salute when I enter, cock head."

The blond rolled his eyes, shrugged and lamely saluted while flicking Kyuubi the bird with his other hand.

"Good boy," Kyuubi responded, walking towards the bed and throwing the paper bag into the teen's face. His sinister smile only widened as he heard the satisfying smack of the greasy bag landing in the blond's face. "You've got me jagged up enough today already and now you even disobey me."

"Haven't I always disobeyed you?"

A contemplating look crossed the man's face as he placed a hand at his chin as he pretended to think sharply. "You're head is full of shit, you know."

"Nothing new."

Kyuubi then roughly pulled a chair next to the bed, its legs scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. As always, the redhead rested his entire torso on the mattress, not caring the least if any of his weight was lying on the patient.

Neither of them said anything for a while. They just didn't feel like it. Naruto kept staring at the blank monitor of the dusty television on the opposite side of the room, while Kyuubi mindlessly glared out of the window with his head hanging over the back of the chair, a scowl set firmly in place. It seemed as if he wanted to set those doves flying by on fire.

_BANG!_

Naruto's head snapped towards the window just in time to see a fat gray dove smashed flat against the window of his room and sliding down the moment he set his eyes on it, much like in a comic.

A hum came from Kyuubi's direction. "Suicidal birds. Heard of it, never seen it before."

In that moment a frazzled dove came flying up again, its course somewhat unhinged and resembling a mix out of a zig-zag and a wave motion.

A snort erupted from Naruto's mouth and a split second later he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. Even Kyuubi had a small smile on his face, but if it was one of mere happiness or one of sadistic amusement over that dove's nearly suicidal demise was unclear. It would be safe to lean towards the latter.

"You nearly died twice," Kyuubi suddenly blurted, effectively shutting Naruto up and preventing him from piercing his own lung with a broken rib.

The blue-eyed teen shrugged indifferently with tiny coughs erupting from his throat. "So?"

"Your parents would kill me if they knew. If they _could_."

Naruto examined the other's empty face for a long time. He stared, contemplated, mused, until his once blank expression turned into a tiny scowl. "What's with you knowing my parents anyway, huh?"

Sighing heavily, Kyuubi closed his eyes and remained wordless for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, none of his earlier amusement was visible. "I told you I'd answer your questions, didn't I?"

A frantic nod.

Another sigh. "Fine." Kyuubi straightened up in his chair as he carefully chose his words. Obviously, he didn't quite want to talk at all. "You see I–"

"Party time!" Trust Kiba to ruin simply each and every moment, even from his wheelchair.

Naruto felt like mimicking the dove from earlier, only replacing the window with a wall and the fat bird body with his head. "Kiba…"

Sensing the other's bad mood at him interrupting, Kiba immediately had an apologetic look on his face as he scratched the back of his head. But then his face brightened all of a sudden. "Dude!" A pause. "And… whoever _you_ are."

"_Fuchs_," Kyuubi threw in.

"Fuchs… right. Well anyway, I thought we'd play a little game, seeing how I'm bored and the others are already gone."

"Gone?" Naruto repeated dumbly.

The Inuzuka nodded as he wheeled himself further into the room, Akamaru and Shikamaru on his heels. "Yup. Hinata had to leave hours ago. Family stuff and all that jazz. Shino left without really saying much, just like he always does."

"He said he had to look after his ants," Shikamaru added.

Kiba didn't seem to remember that certain part, since a puzzled expression quickly took over his features. "He did?" Dismissing it easily, Kiba shrugged. "Anyway, Chouji was out of chips, didn't like the ones selled here and left and Sakura… she… didn't feel well and went home too." He left out the part where Sakura had said that she still felt like she couldn't face Naruto. The girl had left seeming as if in a hurry to get out of the hospital as soon as possible right at the moment the friends had started to try and convince her to visit Naruto. She was still scared, even though the blond seemed safe now. The disappointment and sadness she felt wouldn't disappear just like that either.

Kyuubi took quick notice of the change in Naruto's eyes, but what it was he couldn't tell. The redhead knew that the teen had gotten good at hiding his true feelings over the years. "What kind of game exactly are you planning to play? Strip poker?"

A blush crept onto Kiba's cheek. "W-We're mostly guys, it wouldn't work. Especially since Ino's the daughter of a psychologist and Shikamaru's an evil genius. Doesn't work out."

"Evil?" Shikamaru mumbled with a slight frown.

"You know what I mean!" was what the other brunet shot back.

"Picking on dumb people again, Shikamaru?" Ino walked in squeezing herself past Shikamaru and Kiba and sitting down in a chair at the foot of Naruto's bed. "You know what happens when you do that. I don't want to have to call the fire brigade again because Kiba's brain catches fire. It's already smoking, just leave it."

"I wasn't even doing anything," the pony-tailed teen mumbled lowly and in an annoyed fashion.

And Kiba was fuming by now. "Will you stop calling me dumb!"

"Only if you score at least ninety points on the next math test," Ino replied with a sly smirk.

The Inuzuka nearly stumbled over his words. "Ni-Nine… _Ninety_ freaking points! How's that even possible!"

Both Shikamaru and Ino were about to answer, when a cough interrupted them.

"What about that game?" Kyuubi spat, glaring as if he would kill all of them if none of them gave a satisfying answer. Frankly speaking, he probably would be already if it wasn't for the blond brat sitting in front of him.

"Dunno." Kiba shrugged, frowning. "Thought we could decide on something once we get here."

Sasuke then silently entered the room and sat down on the windowsill with one leg lazily hanging down, while the other was used to rest his left arm on.

The blush and doe-eyed look slowly vanished from Ino's face as she tore her eyes away from Sasuke. "H-How about some funny stories?"

"Sounds good," Kiba replied. "Any objections? None. Then let's start!"

_Idiot, you didn't even wait for any protests,_ Naruto ranted mentally.

"You start, Ino!"

"Okay. Um…" The blond girl placed one finger on her chin in thought. Something quickly came to mind as it seemed, since she brightened up not even a second later. It was only to be expected from Ino, someone who could memorize any piece of information she needed later. A skill that was handy for gossiping. "There was this one time when I went to an amusement park with Sakura. She was trying to get some plushie at a shooting stand while I was eating this _huge_ candice apple. And I mean it was really _gigantic_. So Sakura was getting all angry over not being able to hit that stupid target and I was eating, when someone bumped into me from behind and my apple, my sticky _candice_ apple, fell right onto this fat, old, wrinkly and probably stinky _rich_ lady. That damn apple landed right in her hair! She didn't react at all, just looked at me with that… that… _death_ glare and I really thought she'd kill me or beat me with that huge purse of hers or throw her creepy poodle at me. I grabbed Sakura and high-tailed it out of there. Sakura even punched me for suddenly pulling her away, saying she was almost winning and we… kinda got into a fight."

Shikamaru's interest was suddenly peaked. "Wasn't that the day you and Sakura both cut your hair short?"

"Yup. In my anger, I _showed_ Sakura what exactly happened earlier and she threw candice cherries in my hair. We couldn't get it out after the fight cause our hair was tangled and stuck together weirdly, so we both had to cut it off."

During the story-telling, Shikamaru had gotten a chair from another, empty room and sat down beside Ino, while Kiba sat beside him in his wheelchair with Kyuubi opposite to him on the other side of the bed. Akamaru settled himself beside his master on the floor and slept away.

"But it still grew awfully long," Shikamaru muttered in his usual monotonous mutter.

Fidgeting a bit in his wheelchair, Kiba spoke up again. "What about you… uh… Fuchs?"

Kyuubi had drifted off once Ino had opened her mouth. His eyes had been trained on the clock ticking by above the light blue door, shifting to the brunet once he caught on to the fact that he was being talked to. "Huh? Whad'ya say?"

"Anything funny or awkward that happened to you?" the Inuzuka asked again.

The disguised redhead glared at the teen for a while, examining the reaction he was getting. Naruto only rolled his eyes at Kyuubi's antics, while the rest, especially Kiba, was starting to feel uneasy and scared by the cold glare. "Something awkward…" Kyuubi sounded contemplating, yet he never faltered from scowling at the brunet teen. "I once woke up covered in bitches cause I forgot to turn off my polla."

"Your… what?"

Kyuubi had taken his glare away from Kiba for just a moment, but now it focused on him full-force again. "My _dick_."

Frowning, Kiba glared right back at the man, despite being scared shitless. "And what's so bad about waking up with bi–" He was then whacked over the head by a certain blonde. "G-Girls covering you. Beautiful… gentle…" Ino still shooting him a look that could kill, Kiba gulped, "_amazing_ girls."

Ino settled back down in her seat, her fierce expression relaxing a bit.

Kyuubi released a small grunt. "Ugh."

"Why so negative about it?" It was a mystery to Kiba how being covered by a group of girls with oneself as the only male could be bad in any way.

"Firstly, I usually have a few guys in a large group like that and secondly, I had to clean off my pillows after those bitches left. They got all their fucking make-up smeared on the covers."

Naruto shot the redhead an incredulous look. "_You_ actually _cleaned_?" The blond shook his head, lips parted in mock shock. "I don't believe it. Did the universe suddenly turn upside down or something?" He glanced from side to side with a paranoid look, seeming as if contemplating wether he should try to escape the weirdness or not.

A sigh. "I forced those stupid bitches to wash the pillow covers and blankets they got dirty. And I had them wash my clothes. And cook me breakfast. And clean the toilet. And my backyard." Kyuubi paused for a second and it seemed as if the list would go on endlessly. "Then I kicked them out."

"Ass clown," Naruto mumbled barely loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Clown fucker."

"That doesn't even make sense, fuck monkey."

"It does when I say it." Feeling uncomfortable in his chair, Kyuubi moved onto the bed and roughly pushed Naruto aside so he had some space. He didn't care about his dark-brown boots staining the once pearl-white sheets. "Next game."

Kiba immediately began to protest. "But we didn't even hear–"

"_Next. Game,_" Kyuubi hissed so dangerously that no one dared to object.

Everyone, beside Naruto, felt so downright oppressed that no one had the will to lift his voice. It was as if anyone saying something wrong would be crushed in an instant or evaporate into nothingness with all the pressure.

"Then it's _Spin the Bottle_," Kyuubi decided curtly, ignoring the fact that there was only one girl present.

Nervously laughing, Kiba tried to lift the dangerous mood. "Okay_. _On to _Spin the Bottle_!" He shot up to wheel himself out of the room together with Akamaru. A few minutes and tense moments in the room later, the Inuzuka and his dog returned with a large, empty soda bottle. "Don't wonder in case I leave in the middle to go to the toilet." The others just sent him a look as he pushed a low table to Naruto's bedside to lay the bottle on. "Then let's start." Not wasting any time spinning the bottle, Kiba now anxiously waited who the bottle would point to. Even though he didn't have any feelings for Ino, he did find her attractive and kissing her was better than kissing Sasuke or Shikamaru. Or the creep _Fuchs._

The bottle stopped.

"Damn." Kiba gulped as he carefully got up from his wheelchair, being able to walk short distances when he was careful. He frowned inwardly as he heard the chuckles all around him and told himself that he should just get it over with and finish as quickly as possible.

The other tensed as the brunet's lips descended down onto his and Naruto shut his eyes tightly once they made contact. He noticed how Kiba tilted his head a bit and before the kiss could cause him to blush, it was already over. When the slightly flushed Inuzuka pulled away and sat back down, Naruto was breathing just a little heavier. "Can… Can someone turn the bottle for me? I can't really reach it."

Shikamaru nodded silently and grabbed the bottle to spin it. To Naruto it seemed as if that plastic bottle was turning for an eternity. Spinning and spinning, going round and round, its pace slowing down with each moment passing, until finally, it came to a stop.

At a wall.

The exact spot between Sasuke and Kyuubi.

"It's closer to Sasuke-kun," Ino stated with an indifferent expression.

"I'm not even playing," the raven bit out with his eyes closed as if he had been dozing the entire time.

"Meaning…" Ino turned her attention to the disguised redhead to her left, "Naruto has to kiss _you_."

Kyuubi snorted somewhat dismissively. "Is it too late to say that I'm not playing either?

"Yup," Ino replied, a smirk already forming on her face. "Now kiss." She was having way too much fun.

The redhead sighed, before roughly grabbing the back of Naruto's head and slamming their lips together. His teeth clashed together with the blond's and caused both of them a bit of pain, but Kyuubi ignored it in favor of pushing his tongue into Naruto's mouth. He pushed the teen down onto the mattress and hovered over him a bit, biting down on the blond's lower lip, before pulling away altogether.

To say that the others in the room's occupants were embarrassed or disturbed would be an understatement. They were shocked, dumbfounded and slightly confused.

"You two look like a couple," Ino suddenly blurted out as she eyed the two on the bed, only now parting from each other.

An indifferent Kyuubi and a disheveled Naruto looked at each other, before simultaneously turning their attention back to the blonde.

The redhead shrugged. "Yup. He's my bitch."

"Absolutely." Naruto nodded in agreement as several jaws dropped. "We fuck like rabbits all day."

Before anyone could even properly respond to that, any rational thought was roughly interrupted.

Out of the blue, the door flew open and a moment later, Kyuubi found a book kissing his face. _Hard_. Once he could see clearly again after carelessly throwing the book away, he spotted the furious blond woman in the door.

"Haven't I told you to stay away, you prick!" Tsunade yelled loud enough for the entire corridor to hear.

"Goddammit," Kyuubi groaned out, rubbing his sore nose, "you're nothing like your kind grandma."

This immediately silenced the anger-flushed woman. Even she barely knew her own grandmother, so how did this stranger know a woman that had been dead for at least seventeen years? "I've been wanting to ask you something," the blonde went on, hazel eyes trained on Kyuubi. "What exactly did you do to wake Naruto up? According to my calculations, it should have taken another few hours or even an entire day for his body to recover enough for him to regain consciousness."

"He's a fucking stubborn pole smoker, that's what happened."

There was only so much Tsunade could do to keep in the destructive rage that wanted to burst out of her and punch that stupid brunet in the face. And several other places. Her left eyebrow started to twitch in anger. "It's just not normal." Within a split second she was fuming again. "And don't get so close to him! He's suffering from viral pneumonia and his entire system is weakened."

"I had my tongue down his throat earlier. Does that do anything?" Kyuubi asked casually from beside Naruto.

"Y-Your tongue in his… What were you doing to him?" A nearly crimson flush was beginning to settle on Tsunade's face and when the brown-haired man merely shrugged, the busty woman clenched her fists. She tried to ignore the stranger and instead focused her attention on Naruto. "Naruto, we still need to put your wrist into a cast."

"Huh?" It did seem weird to Naruto that the bruising around his wrist wasn't going away, but it felt fine otherwise. "Why would you? Especially now. I've been here for days."

Disgruntlement lined Tsunade's features now. "I was… busy with other things."

Naruto simply gave the woman a flat, unbelieving stare. "Is that so? So why does my wrist have to be put into a cast? Not like it's broken."

"Brat!" the woman yelled stepping closer to the teen. "Your left wrist and hand are broken in four different places!"

"They are?" Genuine surprise appeared on the blue-eyed teen's face. Naruto lifted his left hand to examine it, glanced at Tsunade, then back at his hand. Then he started twisting and rotating it, skin-crawling cracks and crunchy sounds filling the room.

"Holy shit, stop that!" Tsunade rushed to the blond's side. "The bones will come through if you do that!"

Naruto stopped the twisting for a moment, never taking his eyes off of the woman's face. Then he rotated it again, even flapped it around and almost grinned when several bones cracked eerily loud. _Then_ he was whacked over the head. Rubbing his sore scalp, Naruto weakly glared at Tsunade. "Ow… Is that any way to treat patients?"

She merely huffed and sharply motioned towards the other occupants of the room. "All of you: out. _Now_."

Kiba, who didn't want Tsunade's fury directed at him, quickly wheeled himself out of the room, even though both of his arms were in some way close to disabled. Shikamaru silently left after him with Akamaru and Ino in tow, while Sasuke disappeared without anyone noticing.

Left was only Kyuubi, who refused to remove himself from the _cozy_ bed he was lying on.

"You too," Tsunade bit out.

"I don't think so, old hag."

There went the delicate blond eyebrow with its seizure again. Someone should seriously call a specialist. "Do I have to sick the security on you?"

"Try," Kyuubi replied, dismissively waving a hand in the woman's direction, "I'll bite their heads off if they even sneeze my way. Been hungry anyway."

Naruto didn't seem fazed by neither the man nor his attitude and behavior, which was the reason Tsunade gave in yet again and left, though only reluctantly. Somewhat relieved that they were alone again, Naruto sighed and let his head drop onto Kyuubi's shoulder, who stiffened angrily immediately.

"Only today, kid," he growled, knowing Tsunade would sick her stupid people on him if he caused any ruckus, which he didn't want right now. He just didn't want to have to deal with any dead bodies later.

Despite knowing this, Naruto smiled contently.

It was only a few minutes later that the blond spoke up again and disturbed the momentary silence. "How do you know Tsunade's grandmother?"

Kyuubi sighed, letting his head fall back into the large fluffy pillow behind him. He was staring at the off-white ceiling when he answered. "When she was still alive, a while before you were born, she used to take care of me when I was younger."

A responsive hum left Naruto and he relaxed a bit on the bed, having been a little tense. Kyuubi next to him remained tense, as if he was about to jump up any moment. "Should I know her?" The small chuckle that Kyuubi released sent a small shiver down Naruto's spine.

"You should, since she was the First Hokage's wife."

"Makes sense," Naruto mumbled. "Granny Tsunade did say her grandfather was the first Hokage. Though I don't remember ever hearing anything about his wife. What was her name?" When he didn't receive an answer, he turned his head to look at Kyuubi, seeing only a smirk on the redhead's face.

"Maybe I'll tell you another time."

A frown creased Naruto's eyebrows and lips at the unsatisfactory response. "You promised you would answer my questions."

"As long as they concern you or your parents," Kyuubi shot back calmly. "Or… that incident."

"What the heck incident you're talking about is this anyway? And how do you know my parents?"

Kyuubi never lifted his head from the pillow. A few minutes into the conversation and his neck would be stiff. "When I was younger, your father and your mother took care of me a lot as well. They looked over me, calmed me, prevented me from doing stupid things. At least they tried. When Mito, the first Hokage's wife, died, there was no one to tame me and so I nearly went havoc. That's when your mother immediately continued where Mito had left off. Your father eventually helped her, even though he didn't really like it."

"Why… Why did my mom do that?"

"Her heritage tied her to Mito and me and she was obligated to do so. It was her duty."

"What heritage?"

By now Kyuubi had closed his eyes, hiding them from the awfully bright light shining from the ceiling lamp. "I'm too lazy to explain something so complicated." In truth, it wasn't that intricate.

Naruto huffed exasperatedly and crossed his arms. "You're such an asshole."

"There's still something you've been wanting to ask me. For a _long_ time."

Startled at the statement, Naruto sputtered and his thoughts came to a loudly screeching stop. "For a while…" The blond tried to compose himself before continuing to speak. He awkwardly coughed and scratched his cheek in a nervous manner, trying to bring his thoughts into order. "I've been wondering about what people are saying. About you. About what you supposedly did." Naruto turned his head to stare at the door, not really wanting any answers, yet burning with curiosity and the mere need to know the truth. "I don't believe any of it."

The redhead finally lifted his head from the pillow, but didn't look at the other.

"Kyuubi…" Naruto couldn't decide what to look at, his eyes darting back and forth between different things, "have you killed people?"

For a long time, the redhead didn't say anything. It was the kind of unresponsive silence where Naruto couldn't keep poking and hope for an answer. This time, he would have to wait it out and let Kyuubi decide wether he wanted to answer or not. And it was killing him.

It took him a long time, but eventually, Kyuubi took in a deep breath and spoke up. "There is this hate inside me," he lowly uttered, an even more tense scowl than usual on his face. "That hate is what makes up my entire being. All I feel, day in day out, every day of the week… is that hate. And I hate it. Everything. The smiles, the laughs, how they look, live on, carefree, undisturbed, happily ever after. That bird, the car, his glasses, its fangs, that wall, his face, the city, this entire fucking planet. Everything. I don't remember a time when it wasn't like this and I doubt there ever has been anything like that for me. Happiness. This is the way I am and nothing can change that."

After a long pause where Naruto wasn't sure if Kyuubi would keep talking, the blond timidly spoke up. "Kyuubi?"

"It's true, Naruto."

Those three words were enough to make Naruto feel like an ice-cold claw had ripped its way into his chest, clamped around his heart and squeezed until it was nothing but a dead lump of cold flesh. A dark hole opened up in his chest and it began to suck as if it was trying to fill the void, but being the endless black hole it was, it was a futile cause. It would probably stay empty forever.

"There were times when I spread disaster, encouraged fear, destroyed lives. No… where I _took_ lives. I didn't care who it was. When I was mad, I was mad and someone had to pay. Didn't matter if it was a businessman, a mother or a preschooler. Didn't matter if it was a couple, a family or a school class. Once I started I only stopped when nothing was left to be killed. I was never caught. Even if the police showed up, I just killed them. Their guns didn't save them and neither did the vests they called stab-safe. Didn't matter as long as their heads were still exposed. They came with machine guns. Didn't matter, I still killed them. They came dressed in protective gear, with helmets. Didn't matter, I still killed them. No one was able to stop me."

Naruto only slowly dared to look at the redhead out of the corner of his eyes, terrified of what he would see. All he wanted to do was run. Run as far as his bruised and cut up legs would take him. But something urged him to stay close, to stay with Kyuubi. Deep down, he wanted to stay, no matter what.

"That's when Mito came in," Kyuubi continued. "I don't remember what happened. All I know is that one day I woke up in a fancy-looking house and that Mito was there. And whenever I wanted to go havoc, wanted to _kill_, she was there to restrain me. When she died, Kushina was immediately there to restrain me as well. All it did was nurture my hate. It had been years since I had last gone wild. I was starting to get sick of being trapped and confined to only a few rooms. I wasn't allowed outside, only when Kushina was with me. One day, I was suddenly freed from my restraints and able to enjoy myself again. I could roam freely and give in to my needs. I was driven to do it."

Fear rushing through his veins and freezing up his blood, Naruto repeatedly shook his head in disbelief. "There should be a different way."

"I've tried, I really have." The red eyes covered by brown contact lenses grew emptier the farther the almost one-sided conversation progressed. "I've tried denying my desires. I've even tried to play some of those fucking video games. I've hunted animals. None of it helped. Then I found myself some of those masochistic people and stuck to those for a while, tortured them for a while. They usually either ended up too terrified of me and ran off, then I had to kill them of course, or they died. It's like an addiction, Naruto. I need it. There are periods of time where I can go by easily without it, but then there are these times when I get jumpy and can't contain myself."

Even though nothing but terror was occupying his mind and body like a heavy drug, Naruto forced himself to voice what was plaguing him the most. "How many people have you killed ever since you came back to Konoha?" he questioned sharply with his eyes downcast.

Kyuubi didn't say anything for a while. Naruto wanted to think that he was merely taking his time to answer, rather than failing to remember the sheer number of people he had killed. He really didn't want that.

"Six, maybe seven."

Unshed tears were beginning to collect in cerulean eyes and Naruto was unable to decide what to look at. _It was in the newspaper a while ago. _His eyes kept jumping from one thing to another, never settling. "You've been here for not even… a few weeks, Kyuubi. How could you–"

"I _had_ to, Naruto. I'd go crazy otherwise." The redhead dryly chuckled then. "Well, crazier than I am already at least."

Naruto bit down on his lower lip hard trying to suppress its shivering. He knew that his next question and its answer could crush him, but his need to know was much stronger than the fear of that answer. "Have you ever thought… about… killing _me_?"

"I have," Kyuubi replied immediately, casually even. "I do all the time. You're no different to other people for me."

A small whimper escaped from Naruto and he curled in on himself a bit. "Then why haven't you ever tried to kill me? I'm such an… easy target after all."

"It's just that…" Kyuubi turned his head to emotionlessly stare out of the window, "you're the only person I'd regret killing."

Silence.

Kyuubi didn't like that silence. It meant Naruto was judging him that very moment. It was a deafening silence that prevented him from thinking calmly. Things wouldn't be the same after this and it was up to Naruto decide how it would go on. "I'll ask _you_ something now." Knowing the blond wouldn't give him any sign of having heard his words, the redhead continued. "Do you hate me?"

After all, they had never admitted it to each other. Assumed it, but never admitted it.

Another whimper. "Of course I do!" Naruto hissed brokenly, his voice hoarse and scratchy from holding back the tears that wanted to pour from his eyes. "You're vulgar, you're rude, you never show any kind of affection, you're egocentric, you're an asshole, a lady and… _gentlemen_ killer and a… a… a serial killer! A mad killer! I don't even know what to think anymore! I don't even know you!" After many minutes of having had those thoughts wildly running through his mind, Naruto now couldn't keep his mouth from letting those very thoughts out. "I used to defend you so much. I got into fights because of you, people mocked me and laughed at me. I believed in you, Kyuubi, and now I find out that I was always wrong about you after all. Any little kid knew more about you than me just cause they believed the stories, the rumors. Every damn gullible citizen of Konoha knows you more than I do! I always thought I was the only person that actually knew you, but now I realize I was the one person that knew you the least!" By the time the blond stopped ranting angrily, he was wheezing. His pants were the only sound filling the room for a while, Kyuubi simply sitting on that same spot on the bed, with that same distant, emotionless look in his red eyes.

"You done?" Kyuubi questioned lowly, noticing how Naruto flinched once his voice reverberated through the room.

Naruto weakly nodded his head in response and tried to turn away as much as possible from the other. He tightly wrapped his arms around himself, despite the sudden pain shooting through his entire left arm. Seemed it was indeed broken. "Can't you just leave?" Naruto hissed out in a low whisper.

"Nope. Too comfortable right now."

That was definitely the last straw for Naruto. Clenching his teeth hard enough to make them feel as if they'd break any moment, the blond snapped his head towards the redhead. "You're such a fucking asshole! I fucking hate you!"

Kyuubi blankly stared at the teen with his head comfortably resting back against the pillow. "Don't get cocky, brat. You should feel nothing but utter glee that I haven't killed you. Other people have not survived a week at my side, let alone so many years."

"So I should be happy about being… being… _friends _with a killer?"

The man in disguise laughed dryly with a crooked smirk. "Friends, huh?"

"I don't know what the fuck we are," Naruto bit out huffing.

"Me neither."

The two then remained in silence for a long time. Naruto didn't know what he was supposed to do now. Run away and alarm the police. Maybe hide. Or perhaps stay with Kyuubi and act as if nothing had happened at all. He really didn't know.

After a while, the blond leaned forward, still indecisive about what to do. He knew that Kyuubi was watching him cautiously in case he would do something sudden. But instead of running away, Naruto just sat there for a long time and blankly stared ahead.

_Will things be okay… like this?_

In the distance, voices outside the room could be heard approaching and moments later someone knocked, before opening the door and entering. To Naruto's surprise, a familiar face showed up.

"Kurenai-sensei?" he questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. "What're you doing here?"

Outside the room, Kiba, Shikamaru and some others were standing and curiously watching Kurenai step into the room and settling down in a chair she pulled up next to Naruto's bed. Kyuubi didn't even look at the woman and just lay back into the pillow closing his eyes.

"I was asked to arrange some things for you, Naruto-kun," Kurenai asserted with a kind smile. "There are people willing to give you a hand, but it seems like you've been refusing to accept any help so far. Won't you at least try and see if perhaps it may make things easier?"

"I don't really get what you're saying," the blond dead-panned flatly, causing certain people to sigh and slap their foreheads. "Are you saying I should let _everyone_… help me with… stuff?"

Kurenai pulled a piece of paper and a ball-pen from the depths of her purse, pushing the pen's button to let the tip pop out. "Well, yes. I will be assigning certain duties to some of your friends. Those will be duties concerning several fields of which I think you need some support with. Let's start with _conflicts._"

Feeling a bit overthrown, Naruto waved his hands in a defensive manner. "Wait, wait! Are you saying you're giving me _babysitters_ that will watch over me?"

"Nothing like that," the red-eyed therapist giggled. "Just see them as several mentors that have different fields to handle anything that may bother you. Let's say you need advice on a problem you're having with a teacher. Then you go to your problem mentor, which will be whatever person we choose. That person will then help you."

"I want Fuchs," Naruto immediately proclaimed as the woman started scribbling down something.

Something like a shaky smile played along the woman's lips, before she chuckled dryly. "That doesn't seem appropriate to me. It should be people your age."

"You don't know how old I am, old hag," Kyuubi threw in, still not moving and remaining lazily on the bed with his crimson eyes closed.

Kurenai's expression didn't change, though it was obvious she was holding in any anger she was feeling. "Neither do you know my age. Back to the topic. I'd suggest Sakura should do this job. Unfortunately, she isn't here, so we'll have to ask her later. The next field would be _past events_, meaning anything regarding your past." Before Naruto ever got a say, Kurenai already had turned around to send a certain someone a blinding smile. "I have the feeling Sasuke-kun will fit this field _perfectly_!"

The raven-haired teen standing against a wall in the corridor outside turned his face the other direction, clearly showing his annoyance, but not actually disagreeing. "Che."

"Now that that's settled," Kurenai turned back around to face Naruto, the decision made, "we'll move on to a very important field: _sex_."

Had Naruto had any kind of fluid in his mouth, he would have dramatically spit it out in a huge spray.

Kurenai turned around once more, her attention on the person she had in mind for this field. "Kiba! I think you would be great for this duty!"

"Wh-Wha… Why…"

Red eyes narrowed, a knowing look appearing on the woman's face. "You know _exactly_ why."

A heavy blush tinted the brunet's cheeks and Kiba unconsciously backed away a little. His eyes nervously shifted around, the usually big-mouthed teen in the wheelchair unable to decide what to look at. Like a horse, he uneasily shuffled his feet as he scratched the back of his lowered head. "F-Fine then."

"Great!" Kurenai clapped once with a bright expression as she smiled brightly at the blond on the bed. "It's settled then. Now, Naruto-kun, promise me that whenever you have a problem or a question regarding any of these fields you will go to either of those three. Okay?"

"What if I don't want to?" Naruto shot back shrugging. He didn't really see what the point behind all this was supposed to be.

The smile on the woman's became thinner as she stood up from her chair and lowered her lips to Naruto's level. "You want to get away from your father, right?" she whispered lowly.

Cerulean eyes widened in shock, Naruto's head snapping into the woman's direction. "How do you…"

"Work with me and I'll make sure that it will happen."

Naruto glared at the woman with doubt in his eyes, but soon realized that she was serious. He turned his head to look ahead again with a silent sigh. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Good." Her smile in place again, the black-haired woman got up and headed for the exit with graceful strides. "I'll have all of you come talk to me once in a while. Now that you know the concept, you'll be able to do just fine." With that the woman left, leaving especially Kiba behind feeling awkward.

After everyone had said their good-byes and expressed their get-well-soons, Naruto fell back onto the bed with a thud, feeling emotionally drained. He stared at the dirty white ceiling for a long time, before closing his tired eyes and relaxing just a tiny bit. "You never told me about my parents," he murmured sleepily. "What happened to them?"

A loud sigh rumbled out of Kyuubi's lungs as the redhead sat up with his head lowered, back hunched, knees loosely pulled closer to his body.

This of course alarmed Naruto and made his posture go rigid with tension as he waited for those dreaded words.

Kyuubi then lifted his head to stare at the very ceiling Naruto had gazed at moments ago, an unreadable expression on his blank face. "About that…"

* * *

><p>Me is evil! *insert maniac emoticon here*<p>

This is _such_ a cheesy cliffhanger, I know. But you guys know the deal. I love to torture you. It's basically what I've been born for, torturing people I'm supposed to worship. But hey! I show my worship for all of you by updating on a regular basis like I promised.

Next chapter: Reveal It All

– Murasaki B


	22. Reveal It All

Someone mentioned that there were only few SasuxNaru scenes. Eventually, there will be a lot more, since their relationship can only progress very slowly. If I were to make them fall head over heels for each other already, nobody would buy that. There will be a really a cute on in the next chapter though, so look forward to it.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXII<span>  
><span>– Reveal It All –<span>

_Why is it always everyone else?_

Sasuke sat in the hospital's lounge with one arm lazily propped up on the armrest of one of the cozy armchairs, his head resting in his hand. It somehow irked him that it was always other people being the ones seen most fit to help Naruto. Not that he _wanted_ to help that stupid idiot or anything, but… he somehow felt insignificant after years of not being involved. Coming back had made him feel out of place, even more so than before. And if he was honest, he had actually counted on Naruto to make him feel less awkward around everyone, especially since he hadn't ever actually been friends with anyone. He somewhat considered Sakura to be a friend, but that hadn't been helping him at all over the past weeks. Everything just came down to Naruto here, Naruto there, Naruto this, Naruto that. The blond had invaded his thoughts and tainted his usually aloof attitude. Naruto kept his mind occupied with thoughts that Sasuke just couldn't shake off no matter how much he tried.

And he didn't know why.

Rubbing his slightly itchy eyes, Sasuke got up to get himself a cup of water. He had decided to stay in the hospital, but that wasn't because he was worried about Naruto or anything. It was just that he knew that he would be bored to death with no one at home. Going home would only leave him with silence. In the hospital he could wander around seeing some new things without people bothering him. At least temporarily.

"Why do I have to do _that_ field out of all? I mean… ugh…" Kiba ruffled his hair in agitation as he was being pushed in his wheelchair by Akamaru, flinching when he pressed a hand against his aching chest. The dog was on his hind legs and pushing his master forward with something akin to glee in his eyes.

Already sensing the stupidity approaching, Sasuke slapped a hand against his forehead, before sipping from his cup of water and sneaking away as inconspicuously as possible. If only he could turn that corner–

"Oh hey, Sasuke! Almost didn't see you there!" With a bright smile Kiba commanded his dog to move towards Sasuke, which Akamaru of course did immediately.

Sasuke barely resisted the urge to smash his head against a nearby wall as that obnoxious brunet approached him. He kind of reminded him of the old Naruto with the way he was talking much too loudly and having those changing moods, going from annoyed to cheerful within seconds. His scowl even fiercer than usual, Sasuke turned around to face the other teen. "What do you want?"

Kiba's cheery expression immediately fell and darkened as he remembered his predicament. And the fact that Sasuke was an ass. "I can't deal with the thought of Naruto coming to me when he has problems with… _that_ topic."

"Hn." With long strides Sasuke went back to his comfy armchair and dropped into it with a tiny thud. "It's not like you're that unfamiliar with _that_ topic."

Blushing, Kiba lowered his head, shifted around with his eyes and crossed his arms. "Wh-What're you say–"

"You fucked him, didn't you?" There was malice in Sasuke's voice, so it didn't surprise him when Kiba suddenly had that scared expression carved on his features as if he had been slapped. What did surprise him was that exact malice in his voice. Why was it there?

Kiba frowned now as his blush diminished and he glared at the raven-haired teen. "So what if I did?" A cold shiver ran down his spine as he saw a smirk appearing on Sasuke's usually stern face.

"And?" the raven-haired teen asked with his sinister smirk widening. "How was it? Being with a guy on your first time."

At first Kiba sputtered, a blush taking over almost his entire face. He broke out into slight sweat when he thought back to that night, lifting an arm to cover his mouth to prevent the small pant from leaving his mouth. "Naruto, he was…" The teen's grip on his wheelchair's armrest tightened. "It was obvious he's done it before. He said so."

That instantly wiped the smirk off of Sasuke's face. Why did those words unsettle him so much? Why did the fact that Naruto had slept with several people already keep his mind busy so much? Why couldn't he think of anything else anymore?

_That idiot. Even bothering me when he's not there._

* * *

><p>"You never told me about my parents. What happened to them?"<p>

A drawled sigh. "About that…"

That alone was enough to make Naruto tense up completely, his muscles going rigid. Kyuubi hesitating couldn't mean anything good. Naruto had a hunch, he had almost known the answer for certain, but he just didn't want to register it completely in his mind. Yet deep down he knew it was true. The truth about his parents, about Kyuubi, about his entire fucked-up life becoming what it was now. He knew it.

"They were murdered shortly after you were born."

Naruto turned his head away with a blank expression as his eyes began to water. He clenched his teeth, gripped the blanket in his hands tighter, hunched his shaking shoulders.

"You found out three years ago," Kyuubi continued as if he hadn't told the person that trusted him the most that his parents had been killed. "About who your real parents were. You somehow became detached for a while. Your entire behavior became forced in an attempt to hide what you were feeling. You were much younger back then and unable to stand the truth, so you asked me a favor."

Despite his mind trying to shut Kyuubi's voice out, Naruto desperately tried to listen to every word that left the redhead's mouth.

"You asked me to hypnotize you and seal those memories."

Naruto's azure eyes widened as he held his breath. "You can do things like that?" he whispered almost too quiet for even Kyuubi to hear. His tensed shoulders slumped as things finally fell in place. That constant feeling of something important missing, but nothing coming up when he thought about it. He always remained blank.

A small chuckle fell from Kyuubi's mouth and a conniving smirk curled his lips. "Bitch, please. I can do about anything." The man leaned forward to rest one arm on top of a bent knee and rest his head on his hand. "Well anyway, what I basically did was that I replaced those oh so bad memories of yours with blank images. Was too lazy to make up stuff to replace the memories with. The problem was that I can't take specific memories and replace them just like that. I had to replace quite some stuff, so you ended up forgetting a lot. Mainly everything from the point where you started to suspect that Mizuki wasn't your real father. Had I left any of that in your memory, you would've found out and eventually learned the truth about your parents again. Since I needed to firmly seal those memories, I used an item and a word that only together create a key. Even if you try to remember, you won't. Even if I tell you specific details from back then, you won't remember."

"But how…"

"That's just how good I am." Kyuubi yawned and stretched, nearly knocking Naruto off of the bed. "Want them back?"

"What?"

Kyuubi flicked the blond's forehead with that smug smirk still plastered on his face. He almost laughed at the comical expression of both shock and bafflement on the teen's face. "Your memories, skeet slurper." It didn't surprise the redhead that Naruto never looked at him. It was to be expected. When he saw the small nod coming from the blond, he shifted on the bed so he was straddling Naruto. From the depths of his dark coat he pulled what looked like a necklace with a blue stone at its center and two silver balls framing it. "Remember this?"

Silently the teen shook his head, feeling something strange as he saw the necklace, but coming up with only blankness again.

"That's cause you need the keyword to unlock your memories. That, you have to earn though. I've been bored a lot lately after all."

Naruto never got the chance to properly process those words, since Kyuubi quickly placed both his hands beside the teen's head, trapping him. The redhead kept the blond in place as he pressed his lips against Naruto's. Kyuubi didn't really care about the hands pressing and hitting against his chest. He kept biting the other until he was granted entrance into Naruto's mouth and could plunge his tongue right into the moist heat once he got the chance. That teeth clamped down on his tongue didn't matter to him. Moreover, it only excited him more as blood trickled from the corner of his lips. Kyuubi's hand wandered lower and lower, until it roughly grabbed Naruto's crotch. An animalistic growl rippled from the redhead's throat as he heard the whimpers underneath him.

_CRACK!_

"Fuck, my nose!" Kyuubi held his nose as blood poured from it and Naruto retreated his fist. He was thrown to the side as the blond scrambled to get up and run away.

Despite his only barely healed up wounds aching, Naruto left the room in a hurry. He rushed down the corridors tiled with white, past nurses and doctors that soon tried to catch him. They yelled after him to stop and return to his room, but he didn't listen and just ran harder. While on the run, he nearly knocked over trays and tables of various things he couldn't make out with the speed he was running at. He even nearly ran over some other patients that were taking a walk.

Somehow he had the feeling that Kyuubi wasn't even following him. And why should he? The redhead always tried his best to avoid causing a scene, unlike Naruto. Realizing this, the blond started to slow down, but didn't come to a halt since people were still following him. If anyone caught him, questions would be asked. Questions he knew he didn't quite wanted to answer.

Lost in his thoughts, turning a corner, Naruto suddenly walked into something tall and hard. His face was buried in something warm, even silky. When he tried to look up, his voice was stuck in his throat and his movements ceased as he heard a sickly smooth voice rumbling from a slender chest.

"I'll be taking you soon."

Naruto was too baffled to raise his head now, so he didn't see the man's face as the stranger turned around and went the other direction. All he recognized was a dark mantle and a hat, nothing more. He was already gone when Naruto finally caught up with what had happened. Of course he immediately rushed into the direction that man had left to, but he didn't find anyone. Well, he did find someone, just not who he was looking for.

"Naruto! Shouldn't you be in bed?" Kiba wheeled himself to the blond as his face gained a bewildered expression. Akamaru immediately started to fuss over him and licked his hands, probably knowing that his master's injured arms were probably hurting like hell now.

"Same to you, dog breath." And back was Naruto's _Fuck you_ attitude. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had let people get much too close lately. Just that one encounter with the stranger was enough evidence. Over the past days, no, _weeks_, he had let himself be lulled into a false sense of security. With caring people surrounding him, with the prospect of getting free from Mizuki. He decided. Naruto wouldn't let anyone close. What had he been thinking, letting Kiba get _that_ close anyway? Now the dog maniac probably thought he was something _special_ to Naruto.

Kiba huffed as he realized that Naruto was blatantly avoiding his eyes and not intending to actually have some casual talk. "Sasuke acted weird a while ago," he remarked after a while. "He asked me these weird questions and then just ignored me."

"Is that so?"

One of the brunet's eyebrows started to twitch in agitation. _Ignoring me too, huh?_ The Inuzuka didn't like being ignored. To him it was like saying out loud that the person found him annoying and stupid. "He asked me this weird stuff about you. About… how it was… being with you. Wanna know what I told him?" Kiba knew he must have sounded challenging, even teasing. He was simply pissed about being dismissed so coldly like that.

This spiked Naruto's interest a little. But just a tiny bit. His averted eyes focused on the Inuzuka and urged him to go on.

"I told him what you told me: that you've had sex before. That you knew exactly what you were doing."

"Wha–" An enraged flush quickly took over Naruto's face and he angrily stepped closer to Kiba. "What's that supposed to mean?" he yelled, feeling his blood already boiling over and his throat starting to feel funny again.

Kiba lifted his open palms in a defensive manner. "Chill, man. Just told him the truth. I'm not accusing you of anything."

"Didn't sound like it."

"What?" the brunet barked with a scowl. "You saying I'm claiming you're a whore or something?"

The look of anger vanished from Naruto's features in an instant was replaced by an expression only possibly described as the kind one has after being slapped across the face. Clenching his teeth, the blond lowered his head as his eyes started to water a bit.

Naturally, Kiba's face changed immediately as well. Instead of the small scowl, he now had a worried frown marring his usually cheery features. "Sh-Shit, man. I didn't know you were taking that serious. I'm just… I was just a little pissed, so I said stupid stuff. Forget about it."

Something like this, a quarrel between two hot-headed teens, had been normal just a few years back. Of course with the _intention_ to hurt the other, rather than feeling guilty about a misunderstanding. Either one of them would have provoked the other in one way or another and a fight had broken out. And despite the constant exchanges of insults, Kiba and Naruto had gotten closer to each other, though neither of them would have admitted it. Kiba had thought Naruto was a total moron that only caused trouble, while Naruto had thought the exact same thing about him. And without them knowing it, through their quarrels they had somehow grown to be something like friends.

Now all of that was insignificant. At least to Naruto.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Next to Kiba, Akamaru whimpered as he felt the sorrow being emitted by his master. "That one time you broke my nose and I dislocated your shoulder. I don't even know why we fought anymore." _Great, now he's gonna call me a weirdo again. _

"I'm sorry."

Kiba's mouth dropped open at this, his eyes growing to the size of plates. _Did he just seriously say what I think I heard him say?_

"Sorry I caused so much trouble." _What the hell am I doing apologizing and shit? It shouldn't matter. _Clenching his jaw, the teen suddenly turned around and left Kiba where he was without further words. He felt like puking with all the running around after days of not moving all that much, but he still moved forward, refusing to stop and let Kiba pry further. _Why have I become a mess like this? One minute I tell myself not to get myself involved and the next… What the hell am I doing? Why… am I doing this?_

The voice of nurses and doctors searching for him alarmed the teen all of a sudden. Naruto quickly tried a random door and sighed in relief when it easily opened. Once inside he shut the door as quietly as possible and turned the key already placed in the lock to close it securely, just as the small horde of people walked past him in a frenzy. The pain finally overwhelmed any kind of adrenaline and Naruto broke down on the floor wheezing and panting for air. He usually would have healed up by now, but he guessed that with that stupid infection and the stress it would still take some time to be fully healed. Trying to distract himself from the pain in his chest, Naruto examined the room he was in and found it to be a simple storage room. At least bigger than a broom closet and well lit by sunlight coming in through a small window. He could make out packages of syringes and various pills and bottles of medicine. Somehow he was curious about all the different kinds of syringes and the reason behind the boxes being differently colored. Naruto was about to get up to investigate, when he was struck to immobility by a knock on the door. _His_ door.

_"Is someone in there?" _a muffled voice inquired with a worried tone to it.

Heart hammering in his chest, Naruto quietly sat back down again to make as little noise as possible. He tried to listen to any noise the person on the other side of the door was making and heard slightly hitched breathing, as if the person had been jogging.

_"Naruto?"_

_Who the fuck is that? I know this voice! _It wasn't Mizuki, that was for sure. Just that man's presence would have let both anger and fear boil up in Naruto's guts.

_"I saw you running in here,"_ the man on the other side tried again. _"Please open the door. Don't worry! It's me, Iruka."_

_Iruka-sensei?_ Of course Naruto immediately scrambled to rip open the door. When he was about to unlock it he hesitated for a moment, wondering why his former teacher was here now of all times. Now that he had been here for many days. Shaking his head, the blond finally opened the door and let it swing open. The scarred face he then saw wore a look of worry and sadness. "Hi," he greeted flatly yet sheepishly.

"Hi," the man replied just as neutrally, although with a small smile. "I was going to visit you, but your room was empty and some nurses were rushing around to find you. I went around looking for you and saw you running off and hide in this room." The brunet scratched the back of his head as he gave the teen before him a smile. "Sorry I didn't come earlier. I only heard you were in hospital this morning." Feeling an awkward silence approaching as he stopped talking, Iruka immediately babbled on. "You've really gotten taller the past years."

"Guess so."

Iruka kept smiling as he suggested going back to Naruto's room to calm the nurses and to have a peaceful chat. The blond was afraid of Kyuubi still being there, but agreed nonetheless to avoid causing any suspicion. Even if the redhead was still there, he wouldn't do anything with Iruka there.

The two eventually arrived in Naruto's room and aside from a few drops of blood leading from the blond's bed to the door, there was no sign of Kyuubi ever having been there. Iruka helped Naruto to get onto the bed even though the teen told him he was fine on his own. Smiling, the man scratched his cheek, feeling like he had lost his connection to the teen over the years. As Naruto didn't say anything and didn't seem like he would anytime soon, the smile quickly disappeared and Iruka's hand dropped with a solemn expression settling on his face.

"I somehow feel responsible for what's been happening," he suddenly admitted.

_He knows? _Naruto's tired hooded eyes widened a bit and his posture straightened with attention. "What do you mean?"

A short sigh came from Iruka before he responded. "I feel like I should've been there. I just didn't think you needed me all that much with Mizuki taking care of you." The man watched as Naruto released a small puff of breath and averted his eyes.

"He would've gone through with it even with you there." It felt all right to be talking about it with Iruka. If it had been anyone else, Naruto would have immediately closed up and denied everything being said.

"He?" Iruka questioned, slightly tilting his head. "So it's a certain person bullying you?"

"What?" Confusion clearly showed itself on Naruto's voice, incredulity mingling into his once calm voice.

Standing there just blinking for a moment, Iruka gazed down at the teen who was growing to be nearly eye-level with him. "Well, you got beat up pretty badly this time, so I guessed it was several people bullying you."

"P-People?" Naruto screeched loudly, his voice nearly giving up on him. The blond's jaw dropped and shut many times in an attempt to produce words, _any_ words. But nothing came to mind, his brain unable to comprehend what the other had just said.

The look of utter worry replaced the casual one on Iruka's face and he quickly reversed into his mother-hen-modus. "Does Mizuki know about this? About how far this bullying is going?"

"If that son of a bitch knows of this _bullying_?" the teen yelled, now finding his voice, though it was scratchy and about to fade again.

"Don't talk about your father that way!" Iruka chided immediately. "He's been taking care of you for sixteen years! He's constantly worried about you and is doing his best to–"

"He's a fucking son of a bitch, a damn bastard, a goddamn asshole! That's what he is!"

Something foreign appeared on Iruka's face: rage. His best friend was being insulted and he just couldn't let that slide by. "Don't talk about your father like that!"

"He's not my goddamn father! He's not!"

"So that's it?" Iruka shouted with an accusing edge to his voice. "You're mad at him for hiding it? That's completely unjustified! Mizuki was trying to protect you by hiding it! He was scared of putting even more stress on you with people bullying you and–"

"No one's bullying me!" It wasn't quite true. People were still bullying him, just not as severe as a few years back. Some used to pull stupid pranks on him. Dumping his bag into the toilet, hiding his clothes during P.E. or throwing sticky chewing gums in his hair. Now they tended to ignore him or just throw an insult or two at him, nothing more. He was being tripped and had stuff thrown at him, but people now ignored him more than anything. He couldn't decide if it was better or worse than before.

"If no one's bullying you, then how–"

"It was Mizuki, that fucking bastard!"

Iruka laughed nervously, hunching his shoulders as he waved that entire statement off. "Even if you two got into a fight, it's mostly the infection that–"

"That's not what I'm saying, you oblivious idiot!"

"Then what are you saying?" Iruka shot back with narrowed eyes set in a stony face. Deep down he knew what Naruto was trying to say. Deep down in the pitch of his stomach, he knew. But he needed to hear it from Naruto's mouth.

Naruto clenched his fists, unable to hold back any longer. "That my life's been hell this entire time!" As Iruka only shook his head incredulously, mumbling about Mizuki being a _caring guy_, it only urged him on to continue. "Caring? Mizuki, that bastard? He's the one that's been _making_ my life living hell! He never took his damn pills! He's been drinking and letting his frustrations out on me all day! He's been beating me up almost every day! He's been _raping_ me at least five times a week! He forced me into prostitution cause he lost his job after he's been drinking and coming in late all the time!" Once he was done, Naruto was panting with the amount of yelling he had done. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk without pain now for a while.

"Rape? P-Prostitution?" Iruka shook his head in disbelief, trying to shake off the shivers wrecking his body. "I can't believe it!"

"Either believe that lying bastard," Jumping up from the bed, Naruto pulled up the shirt of his hospital gown to reveal faint scars and bruises covering his entire body, the shape of a faded _M _just barely visible on his skin, "or these scars!"

Iruka clamped a hand over his mouth in shock as he sunk down on Naruto's bed, while the teen dropped his shirt and sat back down on his bed as well. He knew that Mizuki was a childhood friend of Iruka and that it was the very thing Iruka could never have expected. His friend of many years turned out to be the one tormenting the person that was like a little brother to him for so long. "I had no idea."

_Obviously_, Naruto spat in his mind, but didn't speak out, knowing Iruka didn't need any more insulting to get what was going on.

"As hard as it is, I believe you," Iruka announced after a while with his eyes remaining downcast. "But I also can't believe that Mizuki would flat out lie to my face like that. I need to confront him."

"Well, good luck with that."

Hearing the sneer, Iruka glanced at Naruto, but only found a small scowl on the blond's face. "What do you mean?"

Naruto seemed hesitant to answer. Only now he started to consider how hard it must be on Iruka. If he imagined Sakura doing something even close to what Mizuki had done… "He's on the run. If anyone is gonna find him, it's the police. Kiba's parents are suing him for assault and battery. Kiba's still in hospital even now after all."

"M-Mizuki did something like that?" Iruka questioned incredulously with his eyes wide open. "He attacked Kiba-kun?" When the teen only nodded, the man slumped together in defeat even more. "How did it become like this?"

"It didn't," Naruto stated indifferently, which surprised Iruka yet again, who was only used to a bubbly and rather obnoxious blond boy. "He was always like this. He already hated me when I was a kid. Just having another bad grade was enough reason for him to trash-talk me. I stayed with Sakura as much as I could, but that ended once he started beating me up and later raping me. To be honest, I think he only adopted me to torture me my entire life."

Something seemed to click in Iruka's mind then. Two images of his best friend kept warring against each other in his head. One was the image of a caring man he had known since childhood and the other was one he had just been faced with: a ruthless man who brutally abused the child he had adopted so many years ago. He couldn't decide which one to believe. "I really need to think this over for a while."

The door opened then and a disheveled-looking Tsunade stepped into the room, followed by Shizune. She let thick folders filled with messy documents drop onto a small table nearby, before sending both Naruto and Iruka a glare. The older immediately shot up from the bed to stand beside it, while the blond lay down properly, sighing. With her hands on her hips, Tsunade strode over to Naruto and started to examine him. "The infection seems to have worn off." She carefully took the blond's hand and started to wrap it into thick bandages. "You need to be careful with this for at least six weeks." As she was busy with tending to the teen's hand, the woman was unusually quiet. Kyuubi's presence had always prevented her from being reminded of the condition she had found Naruto to be in. The wounds she had found on him. The substances she had found _inside_ him. Her eyes narrowed as she thought back to that moment. That sticky substance had been flowing from Naruto's backside and sticking to the inside of his boxers without her even doing anything. She scratched her eyes to hide her upcoming tears.

Iruka seemed to notice this, unlike the perfectly oblivious Naruto who was staring out of the window. He didn't ask though, easily assuming that it must have been something regarding Naruto, which Tsunade wouldn't talk to him about with the teen in the same room. He would save that for later.

"Aside from your hand, the other injuries have already nearly healed." Tsunade sounded more than bewildered. More like stunned. "It surprises me every time how fast you heal up, kid. Seems you can be discharged tomorrow."

"Really?" the blond quipped with the hint of a smile.

"Just stay in bed once you get the chance. Your wounds aren't completely healed."

This only made the smile on Naruto's face a bit wider as the blond released a relieved sigh.

The lack of yelling in happiness and gleefully jumping all over the room shocked Iruka and it only made that image of a sadistic Mizuki even more firm in his mind. His attention snapped towards the opening door, eyebrows creasing as he saw the oddly familiar person in the door frame.

"What the hell's this?"

"Fuchs!" Naruto yelled excitedly. "I'm gonna be discharged tomorrow!" Only then he remembered what had happened earlier, making his cheeks flush a little.

The man letting his long brown bangs cover his eyes walked around the blond's bed to sit down in his usual chair, now facing Tsunade and Iruka. His nose was only a tiny bit red, nothing like a broken nose should look like. "And that should make me happy because?"

Kyuubi didn't seem to mind any of what had happened before, letting relief wash over the blond. Naruto pouted childishly, crossing his arms and puffing out his cheeks. "At least act as if you're happy about it."

The fake brunet suddenly jumped up, only to fall down on one knee in front of the window, one hand outstretched towards the sky while the other was pressed to his chest. "Oh, holy entities in heaven, I thank thee for this is a wondrous message!" His facial expression never having changed, Kyuubi got up again and sat back down as if nothing had happened at all. Naruto didn't seem fazed at all, unlike Tsunade and Iruka who were sending the man weird looks. "Can you leave now?" Kyuubi inquired looking at the two adults after a while of silence and with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I need to talk to him about something."

Knowing it was no use to talk back to the brunet, Tsunade sent him a last glare before leaving. Iruka remained suspicious as he left, but felt at ease with how calm Naruto seemed. He didn't see how troubled the blond actually was, not yet able to read through that acting Naruto had gotten accustomed to over the past years.

"What is it you want talk about?" Naruto seemed oddly serious and calm, nothing like the rattled teen he had been a short while ago.

"Do I really need to say it?" One of his arms hanging over the back rest of the chair, one leg draped over the other lazily, Kyuubi let his head drop back. "I still need to give you the keyword." He already knew what the blond was going to say, so he cut him off as he heard Naruto already taking a breath to talk. "No, I'm not gonna take anything in exchange for it. My bloody tongue and hurting nose is enough."

Naruto noticed Kyuubi's weirdly serious gaze lacking any kind of smugness and scorn as the disguised redhead lifted his head to look at him.

"Want me to start?"

Hesitating for a moment, Naruto nodded after a while, despite all kinds of bad scenarios running through his head. What if he became a completely different person after getting back his memories? What if his mind would somehow get messed up? What if it wouldn't work at all?

All of this and much more ran through the blond's head as Kyuubi slowly pulled out that same blue necklace from before. He held it in front of an anxious Naruto's face, seeing cerulean eyes follow the movement of the teal-colored stone. "Ready, brat?"

"Not really."

Kyuubi only smirked, a low chuckle falling from his lips. "Concentrate on the necklace while I say the keyword."

Nodding, Naruto did as he was told, eyes never leaving the still swinging necklace.

"The key word," Kyuubi hushed slowly, gripping the band of the necklace just a bit tighter, "is the name of your father." He held the necklace closer to the blond's face. "Namikaze Minato."

_"Go away, you demon!"_ _Rocks_. _They hurt._

_"Are you serious?"_ _Large letters smeared on a wall. I thought it would be fun._ _"That prank isn't even funny!" _

_"Come on, how long are you gonna stand there and gape at me?" She's smiling so kindly. She's smiling at _me.

_"Well, well, well. So you did come back for another beating?" Shit, I should've stayed in class after all. "This time I brought some friends along."_

_"Idiot, that was totally uncalled for." Stupid bastard with his stupid know-it-all attitude._

_"What're you saying? I don't smell like a wet dog!" Heh, you _do_, dog breath. Just believe me when I say so._

_"Kyuubi, where does all that blood come from?" Now I get it._

_How could I have forgotten all of this?_

_It's too much._

Darkness.

* * *

><p>I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but I really love all of you. Even if you don't review, I still appreciate that you keep following this story. Just knowing that I'm causing some kind of emotion, wether it's sadness, amusement or shock, in thousands of people with nothing but my words is really amazing. And I often find myself reading reviews where people point out how they love certain scenes I didn't think much of. I even thought of scrapping the <em>spin the bottle<em> scene, but decided to leave it in cause I never scrap entire scenes like that. So thanks a lot for the feedback on things I would belittle otherwise. Even though I torture all of you with my constant cliffhangers (*goofy face* I did it again!), I still receive positive feedback from you.

I guess you know what'll come next chapter. No need for me to give any hints, right? Or will I be my mean self and fool you all into thinking that I'll give you what you were all waiting for? You'll have to see…

Next chapter: Sunny Side Up

– Murasaki B


	23. Sunny Side Up

I was… kinda dead for… four weeks. I didn't get to write a lot because I was either busy studying for exams, distracted or feeling like shit because of some… gastritis. Minor of course.

This chapter only had to be edited a bit, but since I recently developed something of a small obsession with Korean dramas, Korean shows, Korean bands, Korean celebrities and… stuff like that… You get the point. I couldn't get away from it. One moment I'd be like _Oh, I've gotta upload chapter 25! People are waiting! _And the next moment I'd see things like _Mystery 6 _or _SJ Mini-Drama _or… *dirty giggle* Bonamana. And Jang Geun Suk.

…

How can you expect me to ignore heavenly goodness like that?! _Especially_ Bonamana! Me liking Bonamana is like a miracle since I usually loyally stick to my Metal!

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXIII<span>  
><span>– Sunny Side Up –<span>

_There's so much I forgot. I'm happy I got all that back. I really am. But more than that, I'm sad. I really feel miserable. I can't forgive myself for how I acted, for the way I became. I should have resisted, should have fought back more, should have… should have…_

_Should have been myself._

_I feel terrible, I really do. So why am I laughing?_

* * *

><p>Even to the indifferent Kyuubi it was slightly disturbing to see a hysterically laughing teen with tears running down his face. He was waiting for that damaged rib to pierce through Naruto's lungs and for the blond to suffocate. The redhead even considered pushing on the blond's chest to see what would happen, but he guessed someone would be coming soon with the volume the blond was laughing–<p>

"What's this commotion?"

Kyuubi calmly glared at the person that entered the room, the thrashing teen on the bed not quite worrying him as much as it should have. "The brat finally lost it."

"Hn." Coming in, Sasuke had thought it was just Naruto goofing around, which in itself was already out-of-character for the usually cold teen. Only after the blond just didn't stop laughing and even started to choke in between did Sasuke realize that something was wrong. "Doesn't he seem like he's hyperventilating?"

"And laughing," Kyuubi shot back still calm as ever.

It didn't seem like the man would act up and Sasuke didn't want to deal with the trouble of being sued for neglecting his _duty to rescue._ With that in mind the teen approached the blond on the bed and at first didn't know what to do. He knew that with hysterical people the source for the hysterics had to be removed, but did that also count for people who were laughing hysterically? "What happened?"

Smoking a cigarette that had magically appeared out of nowhere, Kyuubi lazily watched the brunet, musing if he should say something or not. He found Sasuke interesting in some way, but also felt a weird kind of aura coming off of him. Something he couldn't quite categorize. "I made him remember something."

Now this stunned even Sasuke. He felt as though someone had just dumped a truck load of heavy rocks on him. The one thing the others had tried to do for a year and never had achieved, that was the thing this guy had managed after what? A few hours with Naruto in hospital? Just who was he?

All of this happened in the span of a few seconds and of course Naruto was still close to choking. Sasuke didn't know what else to do, so the he did the thing that first came to mind: He slapped Naruto across the face.

It didn't even bother the blond. He was thrown to the side by the force of the hit, but he just remained laying sideways like that while clutching his burning sides as he laughed.

_He'll kill himself with that damned fractured rib of his! _Sasuke quickly climbed on the bed to turn Naruto back over again and hit him again. And again. He slapped him until the laughter finally died down.

Naruto was barely able to breath, his irregular breathing nothing but wheezes and pants. Sasuke wasn't off much better. He was panting as well from the effort of both holding the blond down and hitting him repeatedly. Gladly he hadn't hit him hard enough to cause any serious damage. Naruto's red cheeks were only swollen a bit.

"Sasuke?"

That one panted out word made all of Sasuke's thoughts come to a sudden screeching halt. Had he just heard right? He wasn't being addressed by his last name _or_ as a bastard, but by his first name? The last time he had heard that…

"What're you doing slapping me across the face, huh? Bastard."

To Sasuke it was like he had been thrown into the world from three years ago. It was as if he was twelve again with an obnoxious blond sitting to his left and an annoying girl to his right.

Arms suddenly wrapped around Sasuke's waist and a face was pressed into his chest. And only now he realized that he was still straddling Naruto from his earlier attempts of holding him down. But like the Uchiha he was, his face remained stern and emotionless.

"I know you hate all this affectionate and mushy stuff, but just for today, let's make an exception."

A tiny smirk formed on Sasuke's face as the teen loosely let his arms hang over the other's shoulders. "Just for today, idiot."

Kyuubi only watched with an unreadable smirk of his own, sitting in his chair with his arms atop the armrests.

_A really interesting guy indeed._

* * *

><p>Pink strands of hair bobbed up and down as the girl dashed through the corridors where no one could see her. As soon as she caught sight of a nurse or doctor she slowed her pace, only to break into a run again the moment those were gone.<p>

Sakura had received a message from Naruto on her phone saying _I'm back with Sasuke, Sakura-chan._ _I told you I'd never break a promise. _He remembered that promise he had made to her long ago! It meant he had remembered those lost years again, right? It didn't matter to Sakura what exactly had happened to cause this, all she wanted was to see her best friend. The best friend she had longed to see for so long.

The girl nearly tripped over her own feet many times as she dashed along the sleek surface of the floor. Loud clacking sounded as the heels of her boots hit the tiles, her breaths sounding obnoxiously loud to her own ears. The run to her destination seemed endlessly long. All she wanted was to see him smiling at her as a true friend again. It was all she needed to come running like an idiot.

Naruto was still sitting on his bed and bantering with Sasuke, Kyuubi already gone, when Sakura suddenly burst through the door. She seemed out of breath and in a hassle, cheeks flushed and eyes glassy. A warm smile formed on his face as he saw her. "Hey, Sakura-chan. Long time no see."

Pressing together her lips, Sakura tried to hold back her tears, especially since Sasuke was in the room as well. "You idiot!" she screeched.

The next moment Naruto was punched across the head. He barely had time to hold his now aching head and curse out in pain, for then had a bunch of pink hair pressed into his chest and arms wrapped around him. Sobbing quietly, Sakura lay with her upper body on both the bed and Naruto, while her feet barely touched the floor.

"You stupid, stupid idiot!" She felt her friend's hand caress her head and could picture Naruto's smile in her mind without seeing it. "Where were you?"

"Sorry," the blond chuckled. "I was away for a while."

Being the stoic teen he was, Sasuke just sat in his chair next to the bed, eyes closed and pose calm. But being a stoic person didn't prevent the small smile from forming on his face.

* * *

><p>"So where're you going? I doubt Iruka-sensei will be able to feed you for long."<p>

"I don't know, Kiba," Naruto replied as he dumped his clothes in a locker, a towel already wrapped around his hips. "I mean, I don't have anywhere else to go and I can't just go back to my own house. The police still hasn't caught Mizuki and it's been almost three weeks since I got out of hospital. Kurenai-sensei is probably working on something, but she hasn't really said anything yet."

The Inuzuka frowned a little at this. "I told you–"

"That I can stay at your place, I know," Naruto cut in. "But that's nothing permanent. I can't crash in your room forever. Besides, I doubt Akamaru will like sleeping on the floor again."

It was one of the few times Akamaru wasn't with Kiba. The dog had gotten into a fight with another dog recently and was still supposed to rest. Kiba kept worrying about it, so Naruto had offered to visit a hot spring together. He had often visited the Hozuki Onsen together with Suigetsu, who was a relative of the owners. It had actually helped with any aches in his body, but being with Suigetsu always reminded him that soon someone from Akatsuki would get back in contact with him. He had gotten a message from Suigetsu saying he would get time to heal up, but after that he would have to work again. And he didn't know how to get out of that.

"Sure," Kiba replied with his eyebrows creased, "but you still should find another option. Can't you stay with Sasuke? His apartment is big enough and he lives alo–"

"No way in hell am I staying with that bastard." Naruto's passionate rivalry with the Uchiha still existed, that hadn't changed. Only the feeling of hate towards the raven-haired teen had changed into _healthy resentment_. "As if he'd let me in his house anyway."

The two teens entered the next room which was a bathing station equipped with mirrors, stools, faucets and wooden buckets filled with clear and shiny water. They had brought their own soap and shampoo and so they sat down on the low stools to wash themselves off before entering the big onsen.

"What about Tsunade-sama?" the brunet suggested as he rubbed soap all over his body. "Can't she take you in?"

Naruto chuckled dryly at this while he shampooed his hair, like Kiba. "I don't think we'd get along. We'd kill each other within days. Sure, she cares about me, but we easily start fighting over little things. Even though she doesn't look like it, she's kinda overprotective."

Sighing exasperatedly, Kiba dumped a bucket of water over himself to wash off any soap and shampoo on him. "I can't believe there's no one who can take you in!"

"What do you think was the reason I never got away from Mizuki?"

Kiba immediately silenced whatever snide remark wanted to leave his mouth as he saw the darkened features of the blond. He let his gaze drop to the tiled floor as he started to rub himself dry with a towel.

Once both were done washing and rinsing, they finally headed to the inviting onsen. Steam rose from the teal-colored water and the moist stones in the water glistened in the sunlight. A tall sheen of fog covered the water and the soothing sound of splashing water from a miniature waterfall filled the area, the air smelling unbelievably fresh. The previous awkward atmosphere quickly diminished seeing this scene and allowed the two boys to enter the empty onsen with a relaxed smile on their face.

Sliding into the steaming hot water and sitting down on a stone bank inside, Naruto sighed and rested his elbows on the edge of the hot spring with a cheshire grin. "Feels good," he drawled with a groan, making Kiba chuckle.

"Dude, you really look like some kind of fox like that," the brunette blurted as he kept laughing at the comical expression of discontent that formed on the other's face. He was splashed with water, which didn't quiet him down at all. It only sent him into hysterics all the more.

Growling, Naruto jumped at the other and dunked him underwater. He kept Kiba's head there for a while before releasing him. Grinning mischievously, he watched as the Inuzuka shot out of the water to glower at him. "Dude, you really look like a wet dog like that."

Snickering, Kiba swiftly caught the blond in a headlock. "Now you're not such a bigmouth anymore, huh?"

Naruto of course struggled to free himself, but only managed to dunk both of them underwater. He was released then and punched the brunet's head as hard as he could. As he came up for air he first distanced himself a little from the other. In order to calm himself down a little, he went to the edge of the onsen and crossed his arms on top of the wet stone to lay down his head. It probably was a bad idea to leave his back defenseless like that, but in the heat of the hot water he didn't want to think logically.

His unthought concern turned out to be justified.

A jolt ran through Naruto as suddenly his butt was squeezed. He squeaked uncharacteristically as Kiba broke through the water right behind him. Naruto was rooted in place as he heard barely held in cackling from behind.

"Seriously, I've never heard a guy making that kind of sound. Is that your usual reaction to people touching your butt?" Just to test it out, Kiba groped the other again. And received that same squeak. "Aw, how cute," the teen cooed, wrapping his arms around the shorter teen's waist.

"Don't call me cute, you perv!" Naruto was trapped and couldn't quite move the way he was, but he still tried to get the other's arms off of him somehow. "And let me go!"

Even though the blond couldn't see, Kiba now donned an expression of mock hurt. "I'm not a perv! What's so bad about some healthy contact between two guys?"

"I wouldn't call groping my ass _healthy contact_," Naruto growled out. "Let me the fuck go!" His thrashing wasn't very effective in the water and it only succeeded in Kiba moving away from the edge a bit, but not in him letting go. Suddenly the blond was turned around and pushed down to sit on the stone bench in the water. He continued to glare up at Kiba, but that faded when he noticed how serious the other had become all of a sudden.

"I've been wondering about something," the brunet started after a while of them just staring at each other. "That day, when you… asked me that _favor_, you said that you… that you've had… sex before. Was that… with a guy too?"

Of course, this shocked Naruto at first, then caused him to blush and look away.

"I think I have the right to know what exactly was up with you. That night had a huge impact on me, you know."

Naruto never raised his head and just kept staring into the water. His thoughts slowly running off, he absent-mindedly started to run a hand over Kiba's wet chest. Over the past month, he had developed a weird kind of relationship with the Inuzuka. Physically they were as close as could get, yet he often acted as if not wanting Kiba to even so much as touch him, since the blond just still couldn't get used to that kind of contact unless he initiated it himself. But emotionally, Naruto still kept his distance despite Kiba's never-ending attempts to get him to open up completely. That's why these sudden acts of physical affection always stunned the brunet.

Kiba flinched when the blond's hand wandered lower and lower, to the part of his body that was subdued in steamy water. He never dared to stop Naruto in any way, fearing he would loose that wavering and brief connection he had with him. This physical contact was the only connection he had to the other.

Another hand soon roamed over the taller teen's upper body, Naruto leaning up to press his lips against his. It still made Kiba uncomfortable, but he endured it. A hand suddenly wrapped around his member, squeezed, rubbed and jerked. Gasping loudly, Kiba nearly collapsed right then and there, his knees going dangerously weak.

_What're we doing here?_

Kiba then finally made a decision.

The teen grabbed both of Naruto's hands and pushed them away with a certain force that conveyed finality. "You always do this when I try to talk to you seriously." Only now did Kiba notice that even at this point, Naruto still wasn't looking at him directly. "Whenever I try to ask you something serious, you keep distracting me. I've been holding back because I was scared of loosing you, of you reverting back to the you you were just a while back, but I just can't take this shit anymore. I've had it with you! Either talk or just say that you don't want to talk so that I can stop fucking breaking my damn head over this! Decide!" He then let Naruto's slack arms go, the limbs splashing up water as they fell back into the onsen.

A small, bitter laugh then came from the blond and Naruto slowly looked up to meet the other's gaze. "You want to know that bad?" Seeing Kiba nod with vigor and fire in his eyes, the teen chuckled, then let his forehead drop onto the other's shoulder. "Over the past years, Mizuki beat me up almost every day. He didn't really need a reason to. Just being in a bad mood was enough for him and since he never took his pills, he was always in a bad mood. He would come home while I was doing homework or something and then he'd start yelling at me for no reason. Sometimes he goes directly to whooping my ass. It always ends when he's out of energy, not angry anymore, or when I pass out. I heal up pretty fast, so he never bothers with holding back. And sometimes–"

"Dude, stop a second," Kiba interrupted all of a sudden. "That's all in the past, so stop talking as if this is all still happening now."

Naruto had never noticed that he suddenly had shifted tense. Glancing at Kiba for reassurance, the other nodded and he continued. "Sometimes… Sometimes he made me go to school even when I could barely walk. If it was too bad, I pretended going to school, but instead went to some quiet corner in town and just stayed there until school ended, then went back home. That was all when he first started to beat me up and I kept distancing myself from you guys." The blond found it weird that Kiba of all people was silently listening as he talked. He still hadn't gotten used to having a person listen to him like that again. "After a few weeks, he came back home and was in a _really_ bad mood cause his boss had screamed at him that day and nearly fired him. He looked really scary when he came in through the front door. I was sitting in the kitchen cause I just came– had come from school and was tired… so I didn't notice him coming in at first. When I did, he suddenly grabbed me from behind and dragged me over the floor, over the stairs, all the way up to his bedroom, where he just threw me on his bed." Slowly, Naruto was getting lost in the memory of that horrible day that had been deeply imprinted into his mind. He didn't see Kiba's eyes widening in dawning realization. "I was really scared and started to yell when he started to take off… my clothes all of a sudden. He just looked… like a mad man. He just… He just…"

"You don't have to tell me any more."

Naruto refocused his eyes on the stone-faced teen in front of him, pressing together his lips and furrowing his eyebrows. "He raped me as much as he beat me up from that day on."

Kiba almost expected tears to fall from those jaded eyes, but none ever came. It only proved to him once again that by getting back his memories, Naruto had become a much stronger person. He now was able to somewhat handle his memories and the gruesome experiences he had made. Knowing this, Kiba pulled the other into his arms and embraced him tightly as to keep some kind of contact. All he knew was that if he had told a story like that, he would want someone to hold him, even if he wasn't crying outwardly. It surprised the brunet when after a while, Naruto backed away a little to look up at him with the tiny hint of a smile.

"You really are a friend, Kiba." The blond beamed with his bright trademark grin spreading on his features. "Thanks."

"No problem," Kiba breathed out. Still holding the other, Kiba shifted his hands to rest on Naruto's upper arms and pulled him closer again. The younger teen kept glancing at him weirdly and Kiba couldn't decide if he was looking at him with expectation or wariness. The Inuzuka went for the former and let his lips hover around Naruto's and waited for any kind of sign that he didn't want something like this. It was the very first time that Kiba was approaching him seriously like this and the choice now lay in accepting or denying the brunet's silent request.

_I don't know. I really don't. _

Something that could only be described as an utterly dirty laugh suddenly broke the moment between the two teens and directed their attention towards the man entering the area of the onsen.

"Wait," the white-haired and middle-aged man muttered with his goofy grin fading. "This isn't a mixed bath?" After narrowing his eyes as he saw only two boys that were positioned suspiciously close, he shrugged and simply slipped into the hot water keeping a normal distance from the two younger males.

Kiba blushed at that moment and felt his face heat up. "I-I think I should… get out. The heat's startin' t' get to me."

His speech sounded unusually slurred, which made Naruto worry a tiny bit, but he didn't run off to thoughts of Kiba just acting to get out of the weird atmosphere that had suddenly arisen. Once the brunet was out of sight, Naruto took some time to observe the stranger that was now sitting in the hot water together with him. He seemed… quite odd, to say the least.

"Friend of yours?" the man suddenly questioned, jerking his thumb towards the direction Kiba had left in.

Still a bit suspicious, Naruto only nodded and kept warily eyeing the man. He seemed oddly familiar, though he couldn't remember ever having met him before. It still often happened that Naruto suddenly remembered things out of the blue again. Just tiny things like a certain sound or smell were enough to ignite some kind of spark that brought back moments of his life he had simply forgotten. But this man didn't ignite anything, just gave Naruto a nostalgic feeling.

"I know I'm quite attractive, but staring at me like that does creep me out. Especially when it's a guy staring at me."

A faint blush bloomed on Naruto's cheeks and he quickly pulled his gaze off of the man that caused something in him to churn. "Sorry. I just… felt like I know you from somewhere."

"Oh, that's no surprise." The white-haired man smiled as he watched Naruto's features gaining an incredulous edge. "Cause I've been watching you for a while."

* * *

><p>A small pebble rolled over the ground after it had been oh so rudely kicked by a grumpy teen strolling down the sidewalk. With his hands shoved into his pockets, Sasuke stared at the cement as he walked. For him, the past weeks had been paved with thinking, thinking and more thinking. Which wasn't unusual for him, but the topic was what was making it stressful for him. He kept thinking back to that one day he had lost control and kissed Naruto. Somehow he had felt the need to kiss again, not the blond specifically, he just suddenly felt like he had to have some kind of physical relationship. He refused the thought of ever having deeper feelings for his newly returned rival and so he stuck with the guess that he simply had reached an age where he just <em>needed<em> some kind of sexual contact to another person. He had even contemplated paying if needed be, just to get rid of the source of annoyance that was the part of his brain screaming for him to go and fuck someone.

Sasuke noticed the person coming his direction in time to evade it and not walk right into it. He intended to just casually go on, when the person that had just passed him suddenly spoke up.

"You know Uzumaki Naruto, do you not?"

The raven-haired teen turned around a little to eye the stranger and found someone around his age. Though it was a strange person with spikes of bright red hair peeking out of his black hood. Once he had given the other a short once-over, he turned around to make his leave with a "Hn". But soon enough, he heard calm steps behind him and knew the other was following him as well as catching up.

"Tell me where he lives," the redhead now standing next to Sasuke demanded with his features not seeming to change. His eyes could faintly be seen in the shadow of the hood, but they were veiled too much in darkness to reveal their color. "I cannot seem to find the place he lives at."

Sasuke's expression matched that of the other as he replied. "I do not know where he currently lives."

The redhead then went silent and stared ahead as he walked beside the other. "Then I will go find him." Without saying any kind of farewell, the teen turned on the spot and left.

Staring ahead all the time, Sasuke simply ignored the weird encounter and went on, now again alone with his thoughts. He walked down the sidewalk, hands buried in his pockets, head lowered slightly with his eyes glued to the ever-changing sight ahead. The teen still hadn't moved forward from the point he had been at before. He still didn't know why Naruto of all people kept popping up in his thoughts. Even at the most trivial of things like making breakfast he suddenly thought of how messily Naruto used to eat and wondered if he would be acting that way again. He wondered if now that the blond had regained his memories, he would perhaps be the same as before. Or completely different.

A sudden vibrating caught Sasuke off guard and made his step falter a bit, but he didn't stop walking to pull out his phone that was vibrating in his pocket. Taking the call he pressed the device to his ear, already easily guessing who it was calling him. Not many people had this number after all.

* * *

><p>I'm sorry the chapter turned out kinda short. But I guess the amount of things happening makes up for it. I would've written more, but I actually already had passed the point where I actually wanted to end the chapter and if I had written anything else, it would have been just crap to fill up place and no one wants that. I always determine a place that is fit for the chapter to end, so writing more after that would just ruin the entire chapter in my eyes.<p>

So this chapter commences the start of the new arc in which Naruto finally has his memories back. I think you can all guess what the focus will be on now. But remember, I'm evil.

Next chapter: If Only He Knew

–Murasaki B


	24. If Only He Knew

Hi there! As you can see, my chapters are much longer than before. I'm _finally_ able to write longer chapters. Happy?

I apologize in advance for my jumping around with metrics. I prefer using _centimeters_ and _kilogram_ cause I think it's more precise (in my mind)? And as mentioned before: I'm a major lazy-ass and I'm just too much of a lazy-ass to convert everything. But anyway, I also like using _inches _and_ feet_ instead of centimeters when I'm not measuring something and instead just describing. I'm probably pissing people off, but it's just the way I write and a bad habit I don't really want to get rid of.

Someone recently told me that my author's notes are very informative. Well then I'll give you some advice: Never cut da branches! They'll put chu in da box!

…

Does anyone even know what kind of random things I'm referring to in my author's notes?

_Ayaka Rain _(Thanks for your nice review by the way! It made me giggle) asked… something unrelated to the story, but I'll explain it anyway cause she's an anon and I have no other way to communicate with her. So basically, when I say _trolololol_, I'm expressing how I'm laughing (lol_-_ing) while trolling all of you. Trolling, as in cackling_ U mad?_ in my mind whenever I upload a chapter, knowing I'm torturing all of you with my goddamn cliffhangers. For a better understanding of _trolololol_, feel free to refer to Eduard Anatolyevich Khil's song _I Am Glad._

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXIV<span>  
><span>– If Only He Knew –<span>

"Y-You've been following me?" Naruto yelled, nearly jumping out of the water in shock. He was ready to run if need be, but he sat still as though he was part of the stony surface he was sitting on. Although he was panicking on the inside, he forced himself not to move an inch for the sake of maybe finding out about those eyes he constantly felt on him. "For how long?"

The stranger seemed unfazed by the whole situation and unaware of the feeling he was giving off. He scratched his chin in thought, seeming to try to remember. "I'm not sure," he said after a while, scratching his head. "A few weeks maybe."

"A few weeks?"Realization hit Naruto hard, feeling as though someone had just punched the air out of his lungs. _Was he the one following me in a car? The one I've been feeling staring at me? _"You creep!" Naruto shot out of the water and only later realized that he risked having his towel fall off. Gladly, it didn't. "_You've_ been stalking me all this time! I was going insane sometimes because of you! I freaked out so much when you followed me in your car–"

"What? Car?" Genuine confusion now lined the aged face of the white-haired man. "I never followed you in a car. All I did was watch over you and make sure you were all right. The only time I was in a car recently while following you was when that Uchiha kid called for a taxi. I drove him to his house when he found and saved you."

"Huh?" All kinds of thoughts now ran wildly through Naruto's head. Had he perhaps imagined it all? Then who had been following Kiba and him? Something had been there, right? "Then… But then that means that someone else besides you is following me." The blond noticed how the man's face darkened at this, a forlorn expression settling on his face. "Who are you anyway?" he carefully inquired, still worried the man may be someone dangerous after all.

"What? You don't remember me? We met before." A smirk formed on the white-haired man's face as he saw the look of incredulity on the teen's face. "I'm Jiraiya."

Something flashed in Naruto's mind as he heard the name. It was the memory of a man, just like the one sitting in front of him, brightly grinning at him with a flush across his face while holding a bottle of rice wine. Naruto had been dead-tired at that time, so he had forgotten since he had seen the man for only a moment before he had been sent to bed. "You visited a few years ago," he mumbled after a while. "That was… before Mizuki started to beat me."

"Yeah…" Jiraiya's once bright smirk turned into a sorrowful one as he let his thoughts wander. "I wanted to check on you, but Mizuki wasn't doing anything back then. He fed you and gave you shelter. You had Sakura and even though you weren't the brightest, you still somehow pulled through school. If I had known it would all turn into _that_ kind of mess… If I had known, I would have stayed. I came when Tsunade suddenly called me up and asked me to check if you were doing fine. It wasn't long before I caught wind of what Mizuki was doing, but it was only a guess and I couldn't get any proof. I was always trying to somehow help you out from the background, but whenever I almost got something to pin Mizuki down, something got in my way. I even think someone has been meddling into my business and stopping me. Is Mizuki involved with any shady people, Naruto?"

The blond had been entranced by the man's words. Someone had been watching over him? Even if it hadn't helped much, it still felt good to know that someone had been there to look out for him. It gave him back some shred of safety. When Jiraiya's question finally sunk in, he only nodded.

Jiraiya leaned back against the onsen's edge as he crossed his arms in thought. Despite his earlier behavior, this man was apparently someone very reliable and sharp. At least judging from the way his entire attitude had changed throughout their conversation. "I guess that's why I never seemed to be able to harm Mizuki in any way."

"Are you going to stay in Konoha?" Naruto suddenly asked out of the blue. He himself didn't know where the question suddenly had come from and immediately wanted to take it back if possible. Of course it wasn't.

The sudden inquiry of course surprised Jiraiya, but then he smiled warmly and laughed before responding. Such a bright laugh. "If I have a reason to, I will."

A single thought, an idea ran through Naruto's mind at that moment. Perhaps… "Can I maybe… live with you?" All he wanted to do now was to clamp a hand over his stupid mouth. _How can you ask a stupid question like that! Of course he'll say–_

"Sure! Why not?" Booming laughter erupted from the white-haired man as he saw the baffled look on Naruto's face. "I'm your godfather after all!"

_My godfather?_ Naruto simply went completely blank at this. This obnoxiously loud laughing man, who seemed oh so messed up as well as kind-hearted… _He_ was his godfather? And he was willing to take him in even though they had only talked to each other the first time just now. "Thanks." The blond wiped his eyes knowing tears were already welling up. He sniffed and gave Jiraiya the brightest smile he could muster up. After all, it was still a bit hard for him to just smile without holding back.

"What's this? You're gonna start crying?" Jiraiya kept grinning as he approached Naruto and trapped him in a loose headlock.

"Who's crying!"

As they wrestled around a bit in the hot water, both started to lightly chuckle, before breaking out into laughter. They splashed up a lot of water and filled the usually calm and quiet onsen with chaos.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Sasuke was answering a call from someone he knew all too well.<p>

_"Yo!"_

"You seem awfully cheerful today," Sasuke greeted the other flatly.

_"What's that supposed to mean?" _the person on the other end complained in a dejected tone.

Something like a smirk curved Sasuke's lips then and brightened his usually indifferent expression just a little. "I would have judged you to be a pretty depressed and melancholic person."

_"Well… I don't always cry and run away from creepers, you know."_

"What happened there anyway? You never told me. All you ever did was just annoy the me with your constant nagging when you're bored."

_"And you always hung up on me!"_

"I'm not your personal entertainer, in case you didn't know. And I was starting to think you bit the dust."

_"Aw… You were worried cause I didn't call for a while? You don't seem so bad after all!"_

"Obviously. Otherwise you wouldn't have called." Sasuke decided to head back home right about now. He suddenly felt like just sitting down and casually talking without consequences. The other didn't know who he was after all.

_"Anyway… As I was saying, some car suddenly started chasing me and I started running. I ran into a friend though and he helped me out and let me stay at his place that night."_

"Hn."

_"I also found out my dad is not my real dad."_

"Hn."

_"Aaaaand I've been in hospital for like two or three weeks."_

"Hn."

_"And I'm going to live with an old man I met at an onsen."_

"Hn." Before the other could keep going on rambling, Sasuke actually registered what had just been said. "Wait. You're going to live with an old man you met at an _onsen_?"

_"Well… yeah."_

"Idiotic. And I was starting to think that perhaps you are an intelligent person."

_"Oi! He's my godfather! If anyone should be taking me in, it should be him!"_

Sasuke sighed dramatically to aggravate his interlocutor. "Do what you like, idiot."

_"Bastard,"_ the other mumbled.

A small chuckle passed Sasuke's lips as he reached his home and entered through the front door. He pulled off his coat with one hand always holding the phone, slipped off his shoes and placed them neatly at the entrance.

_"Anything been happening with you? I mean, I keep telling you stuff I wouldn't ever tell my friends… Or would have told. They know a few things now, but not everything."_

Sasuke considered this for a moment, contemplating if he should reveal anything. It was true after all. He knew so much about this person, yet the other didn't know anything about him at all. "I'm not one to talk about myself."

_"Come on! At least tell me… tell me… something about your past! What happened to you to turn you into this bastardly… self… of yours?"_

"What happened to me?" Somewhat amused, the teen rose an eyebrow and sunk down into his comfy couch in his living room. "I think you'd be able to figure that out yourself easily enough."

_"Hey–"_

Sasuke hung up before the other could reply and dumped the phone on his couch table. The device started buzzing only seconds later, but the brunet didn't pick it back up knowing who it was. A snort of a laughter erupted from his mouth so suddenly he couldn't stop it. He shook his head at the idiocy of it all, not getting what he was doing letting someone call him for no real reason.

_That idiot is so dense._

* * *

><p>The white sun brightly shone down onto Konoha High School as the bell rang in a shrill tone and relieved the students of their stress and sent them off into their well deserved break. Sighing, laughing, chatting and stretching their stiff muscles, they poured out onto the schoolyard. It was the kind of time Naruto had to still get used to. Even after a month, he still felt weird casually chatting with his friends, sitting down with them at a table outside and laughing with them. The fear of Mizuki perhaps coming for him always remained in the back of his mind, but only there. He was able to dismiss it after having been assured that at least two police officers always kept watching over him. He didn't know their identity, since he probably would have kept looking for them and revealed them that way. At least that was what Tsunade had told the police officers before he was given body guards. Otherwise they would have been introduced to him normally. But because of that, he could now be at ease when being at school with his friends. The only thing he felt remorse for was that he hadn't been able to take proper care of his exchange student Gaara. Having been hospitalized for so long, someone else had been given responsibility for the student from Suna. The blond hadn't even gotten the chance to say his farewell, since the Suna students had left during his hospitalization. But who knew? Maybe he would be seeing the redhead again some time.<p>

If only he knew.

He was on his way to the benches beneath the cherry trees, when a voice suddenly interrupted his conversation with Sakura and Tenten.

"You look skinny."

Hands suddenly grabbed the blond's waist and groped him harshly. "H-Hey!"

A frown quickly appeared on Kiba's face as he kept groping the other's sides. "You still don't eat enough, do you? You're still so skinny!" The brunet pulled the other closer, wrapped his arms around Naruto and dropped his head onto the blond's shoulder. "Bean sprout…"

"Who're you calling bean sprout!" Naruto blushed a little, but was already used to these antics. Ever since he had confessed to Kiba what horrible things Mizuki had done to him, he allowed the Inuzuka closer than anyone else. If any other boy even so much as hugged him, he would still go stiff and even start shaking.

The teens all sat down at their usual table, Shikamaru, Shino and Hinata joining at some point. Kiba let go of Naruto, only to sit down to his right.

"I'm just saying that you should eat more!" Kiba proclaimed with upraised and open palms. "If you don't, you'll stay a bean sprout forever."

This talk was something Naruto was confronted with on a daily basis and so of course he easily grew rather irritated by it now. "How come you've turned into some kind of mother hen? Your feminine side coming out, or what?"

"F-Feminine side?" Had Kiba been standing, he probably would have jumped a few feet in rage and surprise. "How can you call _me_ feminine?" he yelled right into the other's face. Questioning Kiba's masculinity was a taboo and Naruto probably knew this well.

With an aloof expression, Naruto seemed as if easily brushing away the teen's loud response. "Sure. Why else would you keep _cuddling_ me, huh?"

"Healthy contact, goddammit!" Kiba let his fist slam down onto the table as he shot up to hover over the blond. This of course didn't impress the other. "How often do I have to tell you? I also _never_ hear you complaining!"

One of Naruto's eyebrows started to twitch, his seemingly calm mask crumbling and revealing his strained expression. His forced smile started to waver as well. "Then admit that I am _not_ too skinny. I have a perfectly normal weight for a–"

"Forty-five kilograms is _not_ a normal weight for someone with your height!"

"You saying I'm short too now, asshole?"

"You are!"

"Look who's talking!" Naruto shot back as he shot up to full height. "You're barely three centimeters taller than me, fuck tard!"

In his upcoming rage, Kiba grabbed the other's collar and glared at him with a fierce scowl. "You…"

Naruto glared right back at him, their faces only mere inches apart from each other. Parts of his face still twitching in agitation, he sighed. A smile then formed on his face all of a sudden. His entire attitude seemed to change and whatever hostility had been surrounding him vanished into thin air, just like that. "Sorry." Kiba still grabbing his collar, the blond pulled the other's hands away from him, then loosely wrapped his arms around the other. "Forgive me, Kiba-_kun_." He chuckled loudly when a shiver ran through the other at the way he addressed him, Kiba not used to Naruto using any suffixes. Still chuckling, the shorter teen suddenly pecked the other on the lips in an apologetic way. At least that was his intention. To most it probably looked different. Sasuke for example seemed to not get the intention.

Even after many times of being engaged into this kind of thing by Naruto, Kiba still blushed and felt a bit overwhelmed. He didn't know what to do when the blond hugged his arm and dropped his cheek onto his shoulder after they both had sat down. Of course he was happy that Naruto was comfortable getting so close to him, but he couldn't decide what to think of it. He was starting to think that Sakura was the person Naruto should be the most comfortable with. Sasuke glaring at him like that was also more than unsettling him. Other than that, the fact that fights between him and Naruto always seemed to end this way also confused him. They had used to fight with their fists.

Across from Naruto and Kiba, Shikamaru sat next to Sakura, both watching the events folding out in front of them without a flinch. It was a daily occurrence after all.

"He's been doing that a lot lately," Sakura mumbled absent-mindedly, head resting in her propped up hand.

Shikamaru glanced sideways at the girl with his usual aloof expression. "You mean kissing people?"

The pink-haired girl hummed in response.

"I know," the other replied as he turned his head to watch the two males again. "Remember yesterday when I helped him with math? He suddenly kissed me when we were done." Thinking back to the event, the teen couldn't help but wander off with his mind for a second. The kiss had come so suddenly that by the time Naruto had been gone again, Shikamaru had been still too baffled to register what had been going on.

Laughing sarcastically, Sakura shook her head, somewhat regretting that she hadn't been there to see Shikamaru's reaction. "At least he has the decency to leave the girls alone. It's like he forgot how to keep a proper distance to people."

"That's probably it." Shikamaru caught the sudden movement of Sakura's head snapping into his direction and saw her confused expression. He had anticipated that kind of reaction, so it was no surprise. "I called Kurenai-sensei yesterday and told her about his behavior. It looks like Naruto lost his sense of what is a proper distance to people."

"Why would something like that happen? His memory loss can't have anything to do with that."

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he covered his entire lower face with one hand. "I had this feeling that back at the hospital Tsunade-sama was hiding something from us about Naruto. I think Kurenai-sensei said what she did knowing what Tsunade-sama was hiding."

"You sound as if you know about it," Sakura noticed with her narrowing eyes fixed on the brunet.

"I do," he mumbled curtly, nodding. "I was able to find out with a few things I noticed." Shikamaru knew exactly that Sakura desperately wanted to ask about it. He had known her long enough to be able to tell when there was something she wanted desperately. "It's something he should be telling you about on his own."

"Is it that bad?" The already depressed look on Sakura's face only darkened when the other nodded. She let her gaze drop to the table top, unable to watch Naruto laughing like that any longer. It pained her to know that something was still clouding his happiness.

"But if I'm right with what I'm guessing," Shikamaru waited until he knew Sakura's full attention was on what he was about to say, "it would mean that Naruto is showing very strange behavior."

Green eyes widened at this in fear, Sakura's face snapping towards the other's again. "Is he ill?" she questioned in a low voice, fearing the worst.

"You could say that. From what I'm guessing, he should be acting the way he did a few years ago, before he lost his memories. Back then he was showing the exact symptoms I'm guessing he should be showing right now."

Slumping together a bit in defeat, Sakura glanced at Naruto and watched him, trying to remember the way he had been three years ago. From one day to another, he had been hesitant to get too close to her. That was the first thing she had noticed. It had been so prominent to her eyes since Naruto usually had been so eager to be as close to her as possible, but suddenly he had just started to jump in surprise when someone approached him from behind without him noticing. Naruto had looked down-right terrified whenever someone other than his friends barely touched him. At times he had even gotten massive headaches as a result. Other than that, his entire way of acting had seemed so forced. If someone did him some kind of minor favor, he had appreciated it unusually much, but on the other side, remained reluctant to trust strangers, no matter how much Sakura or any of his other friends had assured him that the person was nice. It had seemed so weird to Sakura that her best friend had made such a weird change in personality and behavior, but after consulting with her parents, she had believed it was just a weird part of puberty Naruto may have been going through. Then he had lost his memories.

"He was trying to avoid physical contact at any cost," Shikamaru continued after he watched the silent Sakura for a while and saw the way she lowered her far away gaze after a while. To him it was indication that she was immersing herself into memories. "Strangers were treated as possible threats and his entire behavior seemed fake. His smiles, his pranks, his positive attitude. It was all fake."

Sakura had thought Naruto was finally fine again, but apparently she had been fatally wrong. Her best friend was still in pain and perhaps trying to hide it. He was probably still going through the same pain he had been going through the past years, but now he had his friends back and a reason to hide the way he was actually feeling, no matter what. "I don't know what to make of it," Sakura admitted lowering her head.

After taking a bite out of his mackerel sandwich, Shikamaru lay down his food and leaned back on the bench to look up at the sky. The wide sky that seemed to calm him no matter what was going on around him. "You would if you knew what to look for."

The pink-haired girl did her best to avoid doing exactly that: Trying to find out what exactly was tormenting her best friend. Not only was she afraid of what she may find out, but she also had the feeling that it would hurt Naruto only more if she knew. Otherwise he would have told her already and him keeping it secret meant that he didn't want her to know at all costs.

Would he ever trust her again enough to tell her without being afraid?

* * *

><p>After two periods that had seemed much too long, the teens left the classroom for break with their joints popping as they stretched and groaned. The group around Naruto decided to head for the roof, after hearing from the blond how great it was supposed to be.<p>

"It really is awesome!" Kiba swooned as he turned around and around to see absolutely everything. "I didn't really look when I was up here that one time."

"Don't remind me of that." Naruto also came to a stop next to the brunet now standing in front of a fence. "I think my brain severed from the rest of my body or something back then. And just to get me to go see Kurenai-sensei!" Right now the blond was seeing the woman every two weeks. All they ever did was talk about his daily life, to which he got used to quickly until even reaching a point where he found it enjoyable. It was calming to know that there was someone willing to listen to him rambling without calling him an overly talkative idiot.

The others had already settled on the ground warmed up by the morning sun and had placed their lunches on the ground in front of them. Naruto and Kiba as well sat down beside their friends and started to eat. They kept sneaking food from not only each other, but everyone else as well. Once nearly done with his food, Naruto suddenly threw himself at Kiba and caused both of them to fall flat onto the stone ground with the blond on top of the other as he clung to him with his arms around Kiba's neck.

Naruto chuckled quietly as he felt himself calming down when Kiba sat up and shifted their positions so that the other was sitting between his legs.

"Are you sure you two aren't a couple?" Ino suddenly questioned with a raised brow. Apparently, the question had been circling through her mind for a while already. What made the rest wonder was how empty her eyes looked and how dull she had seemed earlier. She had played it off as being tired when they had asked her though.

The question made Kiba speechless, but Naruto simply waved it off. "Nah, if I had any feelings for him I wouldn't be able to do this. I wouldn't dare get this close to him."

"Then why?"

Naruto regarded the blonde for a moment as he thought the question over. As he found the answer, a smile spread over his features. "He's like my teddy bear, that's why! I can cuddle and squeeze him as much as I want without any consequences!" He noticed that the only one not looking at him was Sasuke. "Hey, bastard! You jealous?" To tease his rival, Naruto only pressed himself even more against Kiba's front, thinking Sasuke had something against male-on-male things and found it too revolting to look at. If only he knew. But as he yet again didn't get any reaction, just like the past weeks, he settled back and just lazily drew patterns onto the palm of Kiba's hand. "You smell like dog."

"Huh?" Kiba looked down at the mop of blond hair with eyebrows now scrunched up in irritation.

"Really! I mean, does Akamaru sleep in– Oh, right. I forgot." Sticking out his tongue, Naruto scratched the back of his head.

Sakura gulped down the last bit of her lunch, before focusing her green eyes on the blond. "How's it going with Iruka?" she inquired casually.

Naruto shifted his attention to the pink-haired girl, then suddenly crawled over to her and made her fall onto her back in surprise. "Great! I get to go to Ichiraku's when I behave and Iruka also lets me watch TV as much as I want as soon as I'm done with homework."

A pout quickly curled Sakura's lips as her look turned sour and disappointed. Obviously, she had been expecting a different answer. "Don't lie. I know he can't take care of you forever with his pay as a teacher alone. Besides, he's too young to be acting like a father. You're like his younger brother more than anything. You staying with him will also pin him down and restrict his possibilities. Just imagine if he finds a girlfriend."

A dragged out sigh left Naruto as his shoulders slumped. He had thought about the same thing the past days, especially after Iruka had had to cancel a meeting with a friend of his because of Naruto, who couldn't sleep soundly at night without knowing that Iruka was nearby. "I know. But! I already found someone else to take me in."

"What? Who?" It genuinely surprised Sakura that her best friend had so quickly found another place to live. Honestly, she had thought he would wait until the very last moment and only find a solution when it was almost too late.

Naruto too finished the last bite of his lunch as well and just let the lunch box drop to the ground. "An old man I met at an onsen recently."

It took a while for those words to properly process in Sakura's mind. When they did, she quickly developed an angry flush. "What the hell kind of oblivious idiot are you? Who is that guy?"

"Uh… he was trying to peak at women in the onsen."

"No!" the girl screeched. "I mean what the heck does he work as? Where does he live? Is he gonna be able to take care of you, dammit!"

"As far as I know…" Naruto's gaze wandered off to look at the sky, "he writes porn books, lives in an apartment somewhere in Konoha and… I guess he does earn a lot of money with his books, but he still made _me_ pay for _his _stay at the onsen."

All kind of hope slowly left Sakura as she started to feel as if her best friend someday would end up driving himself to his own demise. She had to force herself to not let too much rage seep through her words. "You mean to say you are actually intending to stay with a perverted, voyeuristic and shameless old man that writes porn books and lives in _some_ apartment in Konoha?"

"Yeah."

"I think you're missing the point here, Naruto," Shikamaru threw in with something akin to a smile at seeing Sakura blowing up and already trying attack Naruto who was running away from the girl's rage by now. Although his smile was shaky and lacked his usual aloofness "At least things _seem_ back to normal again."

If only he knew.

* * *

><p>"Sasuke, how come you're so grumpy lately?" Arms crossed, Naruto sat down beside his silent neighbor and watched him getting out his things to write. He didn't get an answer. "I mean, it's like you get angry at me no matter what I do!" Not receiving an answer again, the blond gave up on getting the raven to talk. Instead he resigned to lazily poking Sasuke's cheek. "<em>Ne<em>, Sasuke… Did you hear what I just said?"

Almost everything was _back to normal_, only the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke seemed to have vanished, the main cause being Sasuke simply ignoring the blond and whatever he did. There were no fights, no insults exchanged, no glares sent at each other, nothing. And Naruto couldn't imagine why.

"Sasuke." Nothing. "Sasuke!" Still no response. "_Sasuke!_" Naruto was ignored. "Fine! Then ignore me! You're stupid anyway! Your hair looks like a chicken butt, you're boring as hell and your name's the most stupid thing about you! I mean, _Sasuke_. What kind of name is that? Sounds like something from seven-hundred years back!"

"Four-hundred years."

"Like Sanosuke, or Jusuke, or Tetsunosuke, or…" Naruto was about to ramble on, when his eyes widened and his face snapped towards his neighbor. Had he just actually heard that right? For weeks his rival hadn't spoken a word to him, not even glanced his way. Maybe he had imagined it.

Sasuke having just sat there with eyes shut, opened his lids a crack, then stared ahead. "My parents named me after Sarutobi Sasuke." He didn't have to look to see the stunned and questioning look on his rival's face. "He was a famous shinobi. Folklore, you know."

A smile then spread over Naruto's face and his eyes sparkled as he moved just a tiny bit closer to the other. "That's pretty cool actually." In his happiness over gaining his rival's attention, any hard feelings were forgotten.

"Can't say the same about your name though."

Back were the hard feelings. "What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto's soul almost left his body when he saw Sasuke covering his mouth with one hand as an actual _laugh_ passed his lips. Albeit small and short-lived, it _was_ there.

"Are you serious, _Naruto_." His words sounded teasing and challenging as he amusedly gazed at the blond. "You were named after a food ingredient."

Naruto's nostrils flared like those of a bull as he sharply sucked in a breath. "I'll have you know that I was named after the main character of a book!"

"And that character was named after a food ingredient?"

"Which is called like that cause it looks like the Naruto whirlpools!"

Sasuke then turned his head away and shut his eyes again while crossing his arms and leaning back. "What decent author would name the main character of his book after a food ingredient?"

"Jiraiya is a brilliant man!"

"Jiraiya?" Smirk fading a bit, Sasuke looked at the furious blond beside him again.

Naruto sat back down after being up and ready to go and choke the raven. "My godfather. He named the main character of his first book _Naruto_. The Naruto in his book is an awesome shinobi." Staring forward at the doodles on the blackboard, Naruto smiled. "Righteous and strong. Handsome and just totally awesome."

"So the way you want to be, but aren't cause you're a dumbass."

The blond hunched his shoulders in anger as one of his eyebrows twitched with barely suppressed fury. "Just admit that in some way or another, we were both named after great shinobi that aren't real, then leave it at that."

"The one I was named after is famous. Yours isn't. I would know him otherwise."

"What's with you trying to make yourself look better than me! Your name doesn't say anything about your character!"

"Our names fit us though," Sasuke shot back with a widening smirk. "Your name is ridiculous while mine conveys power and superiority. You can't deny that fact."

All kind of restraints broke then and Naruto jumped his neighbor like a wild dog. "You bastard! I liked you more when you kept your damn trap shut!"

Naruto was almost straddling Sasuke as he tried to land a punch on that oh so flawless face, when the class silenced all of a sudden. The door of the class room opened, a man stepping in. The blond kept pestering his rival, but soon shifted his attention to the person standing at the teacher's desk now.

Three people raised their voice at the same time.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kakashi…"

The three teens exchanged glances, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura weirdly glaring at each other.

"How do you know him?" they asked each other at the same time.

"He's an acquaintance of Tsunade-sama," Sakura explained with a confused frown. "I met him during my internship in the hospital last year."

"He knew a distant relative of mine, so he's an acquaintance of my family."

"Now Sasuke," the white-haired man cooed with what had to be a smile hidden beneath that mask of his, "don't go making us strangers. I've known you since you were just this short." Kakashi held one hand out at about the height of his hips, indicating that he must have known Sasuke since the teen's early childhood.

All eyes turned to Naruto, who was the last to have revealed from where he knew the apparently new teacher.

The blond scratched his cheek as his blue eyes nervously shifted around the room. "Um…" Remembering the time Kakashi had thoroughly _examined _him, a heavy blush crept onto the teen's face and he unconsciously pressed together his thighs and knees a bit. "Uh… I had some b-business with him a while ago." He didn't dare look the man in the eye for he knew that he'd blush only even more if he did.

Kakashi chuckled oh so cheerily. "You could say we've got a very _thorough_ relationship that goes very _deep._"

Murmurs immediately erupted from the entire class at the supposed implication of the words, especially seeing the way Naruto sunk down on his seat and blushed even harder. No one quite knew what to make of those words, but of course many tried to read something into them.

"Well anyway," Kakashi uttered loudly enough and with the authority to shut the blabbering class up, "my name is Hatake Kakashi, but you can just call me _Kakashi_. I'm going to be your homeroom and literature teacher from now on, since your homeroom teacher can't teach anymore."

"Why can't Asuma-sensei teach us?" some brown-haired student questioned. "Is he sick?"

"Uh…" Kakashi seemed mildly dumb-founded, but it was hard to tell with the mask he was wearing. "No one told you?"

"Told us what?" Sakura glanced sideways at Ino, who kept her head lowered all of a sudden. She noticed similar behavior for Shikamaru and Chouji as well, the two teens wearing forlorn expressions.

Staring out of a window with an unreadable expression, Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "He was brought to a hospital last weekend." His voice was serious and left no room for hope, causing a bad feeling to settle in most of the students. "Asuma died there after a few days."

The class went dead-silent.

And for the remainder of the lesson, only sniffling, sobbing and cursing could be heard coming from the classroom that was usually the loudest one.

* * *

><p>No matter what the teachers did, they couldn't get the class to say a single word. The three following periods all passed with the depressed teachers trying to usefully fill the lessons, but all of them gave up half-way through and dismissed the class that stayed in the room nonetheless. The bell rang and announced the end of the day for them, but they only reluctantly left the classroom after having to be shooed out by the janitor after half an hour.<p>

Each and every student of the late Asuma's class left school with sorrow carved into their features.

Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji were forced to sit down with the rest of their friends in Ayame's Café after being dragged there. They were all treated big cups of hot chocolate, the others knowing how close the relationship between those three and their teacher had been.

It took a long time until anyone was able to utter a single word. A long time until anyone found the strength to do so after so many hours of silence.

"It happened three days ago on Friday afternoon," Ino started to mutter in a low, hushed voice, as if speaking too loudly would eventually break her. It probably would, judging from how fragile and pale she looked. "We were in school when Kurenai-sensei called during a break saying Asuma-sensei had woken up that morning with the left side of his body paralyzed. Blood cancer." The blonde's eyes darkened at the cruel irony the others were yet to understand. "She had brought him to the hospital and when we came there after school, he looked fine. He said everything would be okay. He said that we didn't have to come visit everyday. On the third day… we wanted to meet with Kurenai-sensei at the barbecue restaurant after school so she could tell us about his condition." Just speaking about it made tears spring to the girl's eyes. She clutched her empty cup as she pressed her lips together in an effort not to cry. "We were eating when she came in and… told us that he had… died. When she came to the hospital, doctors had told her that there had been a _dramatic development_. That… Asuma-sensei had suffered from a sudden brain bleeding. That he had fallen into a coma… That so many parts of his brain had been damaged he would never…" The girl trailed off, clamping a hand over her mouth as her entire composure wavered. "They turned off the machines before any of us could even say good-bye. He died with his last words to us being _Everything is going to be okay_. Not the cancer killed him. A bleeding did. He _could_ have been saved! He could have lived! If not for that bleeding, he'd still…"

The others could only stay silent and wait if any of the three decided to continue speaking. It wasn't their place to say a single word. It wasn't their time to express sorrow yet. Then, a lot of time passed with no one ever saying anything, rain beginning to pelt down from the darkened sky ominously looming over Konoha. Like in any movie or novel, the sky looked as if weeping over the loss of a man that had left just like that. Vanished, never to come back.

"Without him, I'd be a completely different person today," Ino mumbled quietly all of a sudden. She could easily picture her arrogant and shallow self from a few years, the her that had given her all into looking the best she could and not caring so much about her personality. "I think I'd still be the superficial bitch I used to be a few years ago."

Not feeling hungry at all and never touching his drink, Chouji managed a sad smile. "I'd still be thinking I'm weak and stupid."

Only now the others noticed the smoking nub between Shikamaru's lips, the brunet taking a drag from his magically appeared and lit out of nowhere cigarette and blowing out the death-bringing smoke after a few seconds. The teen stared out of the window as if seeing something the others couldn't. "I'd still be lazy as hell."

"You're lazy now too," Ino stated matter-of-factly, a weak smile widening on her face. It was a smile that was both sad as well as reminiscent about those times Asuma had scolded Shikamaru for wasting his talent and forcing him to use his intelligence by playing chess with him.

"But at least now I'm not completely wasting my intelligence with just lying around and staring up at the sky."

The long silence that followed was only broken by fat drops of water hitting the window next to them, the rain loudly pouring down onto Konoha. They just sat and listened, all of them more and more delving into memories of the past, pondering when and if things would get back to normal. Somehow, they knew that nothing would be the same.

"Have any of you cried yet?" Sakura asked out of the blue when some time had passed, her gaze down-cast. Out of the corner of her eyes though, she could see the three shaking their heads in denial. The pink-haired girl smiled to prevent her own tears from falling as she moved out of her seat. She wasn't supposed to be the one to cry first. Sakura sat down beside Ino and tightly wrapped her arms around the blonde, stroking her back until she felt the other girl shaking, heard her beginning to sob, listened to her wailing. Knew she was finally crying.

Seeing this, Kiba then slowly made his way to the bank behind the one the three grieving teens were sitting on and knelt on it. From behind he wrapped one arm around Chouji's shaking shoulders. "Come on, big guys can cry too."

It didn't take long until Chouji too succumbed to his sadness.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Naruto reached over the table top and hesitantly put his hand over Shikamaru's. To his surprise, the other tightly grabbed his hand and kept a death-grip on it, covering his face with his free hand. Wiping away any drops of liquid from his eyes, Naruto briefly noticed tears running down the brunet's cheeks.

"Damn cigarette smoke," Shikamaru mumbled shakily. "It always makes my eyes water." But he couldn't fool anyone.

Especially not those eyes watching the teens from afar. Their owner standing in the rain and waiting for his chance.

* * *

><p>I love to make things have an obvious meaning and a hidden meaning. Although close to no one ever understands it… And originally, I was planning to have Asuma shot on the street and fatally wounded by some random guy. Then I thought it was too flat and not fitting for him, so I thought why not just include my own experience? I mean, it really is easier to write from your own experience instead of just making something up. The feel is completely different to what I had written before.<p>

I just _have_ to say it: SHISUS CHRIST! 6jib is coming! *cries fountains of joyous tears* I went completely insane, especially since Leeteuk is gonna be in it before he leaves for his military service! Call me crazy, but my bias is Leeteuk. I just love his Elmo/witch laugh. And his cute dimple. And that this unbelievably childish dork can't drive for shit. But it's mainly because of the fact that almost any time he cries it's not out of sadness, but because of how touched he is by fans or the other members.

…

I lied. It's because of his sex faces when SuJu perform Bonamana live. I don't know if it's a spontaneous lack of decency, but whenever I see his part with Heechul… Seriously! Did he want to become a porn star before? Oh, the fan service Super Junior gives us ELF.

I'll… stop spazzing over HeeTeuk now. I just… I couldn't… It's too much to handle for a teenage yaoi fangirl, okay! I have to vent once in a while too!

…

I lied again. I'm trying to convert all of you to K-Popism, the religion where you can choose your god to worship or simply obey the almighty Shisus and his Shibrows. I want you all to spazz over Leeteuk together with me. I was easily converted and I'm still a diehard Nu Metal and Hard Rock fan.

Next chapter: _Party Hard_

– Murasaki B


	25. Party Hard

Have any of you been converted to K-Pop yet? You guys do realize that I'm gonna spam all of you with my fangirling in following Author's Notes as well until I've completely converted at least a few people. It can't be that there's anything in this world that I mainly fangirl over together with RL friends. It's simply impossible.

Shall I torture you with even worse cliffhangers then from now? Fine! Here you go! *insert Kyuhyun's evil laugh*.

Now to a _serious_ topic: After what feels like many years, I finally got around to getting a tumblr *immediately knifed for attention whoring*. And guess what? Of course I'd love you guys to be my first followers *whispers f4f pathetically*. I have a lot of time right now cause all my exams are done and I'm on vacation. The only thing keeping me from writing is… well… tumblr and K-Pop. But mainly the sucky internet connection in our hotel room in Bali, causing my browsing through the internetz to take longer than usual. Oh god 6jib can't contain my feelings what is air I'm ready to BINGO! (You're gonna hear that for a while from now on and never get it) So since I've already started attention whoring, why don't you just go to my tumblr that conveniently has the same as my FFN profile: Murasaki B.

I promise that you'll spend at least an hour on my tumblr and that hour will be the best fucking hour of your entire life.

Ah, the times when I wasn't into K-Pop yet… I've gotten so much pervier.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXV<span>  
><span>– Party Hard –<span>

The group of friends surrounding Naruto were on their way to central Konoha, where most of the _fun_ places were. It had been a few days ever since the revelation of Asuma's death and everyone was only now able to properly process what had happened. Not just the death of their homeroom teacher, but the way he had died would be something to gnaw on for a long time. Many _What if_'s would be plaguing them and following them their entire life, for they would never get an answer to ease their mind. They were intelligent. They knew the pain wouldn't just go away after some time. It would always stay with them. Like a scar. Only the intensity of the pain would fade, but never the scar itself. The death of a dear person is the kind of scar that will always hurt when touched. Always.

Kiba had suggested to spend some time just going out to get everyone's mind out of the gutter and to lift the general mood, so now they were currently entering a small karaoke box.

A bell chimed above their heads as they pushed the door open to pass the threshold.

"Good evening," the rather short owner of the karaoke box softly greeted them from behind his reception counter. "Would you like to rent a room?"

The first to arrive was Kiba, so he was the one stepping up to the counter. "Yeah. Is it okay to go in with nine people?"

"Of course." The elderly owner nodded with a kind smile. "Then please go to room number one. It is the first one to your left."

A chorus of many thank-yous sounded as everyone finally came to stand inside. The smile on the owner's face widened, but the teens soon noticed something strange about the man. He never looked at any of the teens directly. Apparently he was blind.

"The first room has two sets of equipment," the owner continued, "so the four girls can use one, while the five boys can use the other."

Murmurs of "Awesome" and "This is gonna be fun" broke out, before Shikamaru spoke up with a frown on his face.

"Four girls? We only have three, Sir."

Despite being blind, the owner now trained his unseeing eyes on the brunet, looking as if examining him. "Well there's her," He pointed towards Sakura, "her," His finger moved to Ino, "her," Now he pointed at Hinata, "and her." To everyone's surprise, the blind karaoke box owner was now pointing at Naruto.

"What? Me?" the blond screeched in incredulity. "I-I'm sorry, old man, but I'm a guy."

A frown formed on that wrinkled forehead as the owner shook his head. "No. I've been blind for a very long time now and I can clearly hear that that voice is that of a girl's. I admit it is quite low and rough-sounding, but judging from the pitch it is definitely female. Are you perhaps a girl posing as a boy?"

Heads now turned to focus on the shocked blond, who only after a while noticed the questioning looks and raised eyebrows. Naruto just kept shaking his head and flailing around his hands. "I'm not a girl!"

"I have to admit…" Shikamaru was stroking his chin as if in thought now, "if I listen carefully, his voice does sound a bit girly."

"What!" The screech that erupted from Naruto's throat only made the assumption even firmer. He was dragged to the karaoke room as he kept ranting and yelling that he did _not_ sound girly at all. No one would believe him, but of course he didn't see the chuckles hidden behind hands pressed to some mouths.

At some point, the nine teens finally settled in a room and quickly spread over the couches along the walls. The center was completely free and very wide, with the equipment set up in the very front. Despite it being a small establishment and the equipment in the room being a bit old, said room was large and immediately emitted the feeling of homely warmth. The first daring to start were Sakura and Ino, who chose a cheery duo to sing. Of course they weren't experienced singers, but they still sounded good enough to fire everyone up and cause a good mood to settle as they improvised a choreography to go with their singing.

"Now a guy!" Ino yelled when they had sung their last note.

Sakura of course chimed in immediately. "Right!"

Both girls then proceeded to push Kiba to the center, but the brunet rejected doing anything unless someone joined him. And so Shikamaru was forced to participate next. Kiba was off with his singing and Shikamaru probably would have sounded good, but he simply couldn't be bothered to care if he got the notes right. They still caused some laughs and giggles, though some people remained in their quiet corners and only followed the happenings in the room with calm eyes. The one laughing the loudest after Kiba's and Shikamaru's performance was Naruto, so Kiba grabbed the blond's arm and flung him up from the couch to the center of the room where the microphone stood and yelled for him to _sing if he thought he was so much better._

"I never said I was better!" Naruto protested as he glared with a frown. "I was just laughing at how desperately you were trying to get it right."

"That's like saying you can do it better!" Kiba's retort was supported by him flailing around his arms angrily.

An insulted glare remained on the blond's face until he sent a questioning glance at Sakura. As she understood the unspoken question, she sighed, before standing up and walking to Naruto's side. With inquiring looks being sent their way, she went up to a computer where she quickly chose a song without hesitation.

The room was suddenly filled with drum rolls, before all of a sudden a short, hasty techno track played and built up to a just as cheerful tune. Naruto began to sing without hesitation, almost as if he had done so many times before. Sakura raised her voice as soon as the blond silenced and as the music picked up, they both sang together in a weird harmony, where Naruto's actually rough voice matched the girl's soft one. They continued this way, taking turns, singing together and performing a choreography matching the song as if they simply belonged on a stage. Naruto still was clumsy and Sakura sometimes accidentally hit him, but they still emitted a sense of being aware of what exactly they were supposed to do. Once the music stopped and Naruto and Sakura both lowered the microphones from their lips, a shit-eating grin spread on the blond's face and he turned to survey to astonished looks on the faces of his friends.

"That's cheating!" Kiba yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the pair. "You did that before, right?"

Sakura's features then gained an apologetic expression and a sheepish laugh passed her lips. "We used to go to a karaoke box a lot a few years ago and we often sung that song together."

"Yeah," Naruto continued, "we sung it so often we even started to practice that choreography, just for fun. Neither of us can really sing though."

"Are you kidding?" the Inuzuka declaimed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you were actually on par with Sakura and Sakura is good."

Before Naruto could reply with a cheeky comment, Shikamaru released a small grunt that gained everyone's attention. "Is it really that much of a surprise? With his obnoxiously loud voice he could probably even wake the dead. It's actually no wonder he can somewhat sing."

"Somewhat…" the blond mumbled dejectedly.

"And remember what the shop keeper said…" Something like a weird and completely out-of-character smirk appeared on Sasuke face, "the pitch of Naruto's voice is very feminine, so of course his voice matches Sakura's."

Three people had to hold back Naruto, who was furiously trying to get to the raven in order to rip off his head and shove it up the other's own anus.

"You stupid, duck-butt-haired, prissy, piece of shi–"

A hand clamped over the mouth of the blond that had several pairs of arms wrapped around his limbs.

"We're not alone in here," Kiba hissed as he whacked the blond over the head. "Do you want to give the shop owner a heart attack?"

Sighing loudly, Naruto was released and he snapped his head away from where Sasuke sat. "He's not _that_ old."

After that, everyone got their turn with singing and dancing. As time passed by, everyone became more daring and at some point, whoever was singing was singing with the entire group. And when all of them thought they had sung enough, they left the establishment as it was nearing the very beginning of night. It had gotten completely dark outside when the teens wandered the streets in search of their next goal. They had headed out with no plans of where to go and now they were just hoping to find something to occupy their time with.

After a while, they stumbled over what looked like a club where people their age and older were entering. They got in quickly, seeing how _many_ girls were among them. Most guys trying to get in were by themselves, so bringing girls apparently was like a ticket to get in. Inside, many differently colored lights flashed brightly and it took the teens a bit to adjust. The layout of the club was quite simple with a small, yet packed dance floor with colored tiles right in the middle and a DJ with his desk in the back. Surrounding them were several bars, walls where people gathered to talk and doors to more rooms, probably toilets. Stairs lead up to a second floor where red velvet couches and chairs standing in front of slim silver-colored tables offered a place for calm chats, people sitting there casually holding bottles of beers and glasses with cocktails. Seeing this, it didn't take long for the teens to enter the dance floor and start going with the flow and whatever was put on by the DJ. The ones staying back just spread over the more quiet walls, the Uchiha far away from the rest. What no one noticed was the way the dark-haired teen watched a certain blond goofing around on the dance floor. People were already watching the idiotic behavior of the teen grabbing the hands of his friends and just twirling them around as if they were kids again. Especially those that were trying to have some_ quality time_ with their dance and possible bed partner for that night were sending them disdainful glares.

The teens only noticed the man approaching them when he was right next to Naruto and leaning down to whisper something in his ear. The blond couldn't see who it was since his back was turned to whoever it was, but he quickly recognized the voice and his eyes widened in realization. He could feel the other's breath on his ear and neck and it sent goosebumps all over his skin just imagining what those lips could possibly do to him. His friends watched in surprise and shock when Naruto remained motionless as the man's hand settled on his arm, then wandered lower to grasp his hand and slowly pull him away. Only then Naruto turned and looked up at the redhead.

"Can they come with us?" he pleaded lowly, worrying his lower lip. "I just… I'll… come with you once I'm done. But I can't just leave them like this."

The man stood so close to the teen that Naruto could feel his body heat radiating off of him. "Fine by me. I'm a very patient man after all."

Letting a smile settle on his face, Naruto turned to his friends. "Let's go sit down somewhere. I'm feeling kinda tired after all that dancing. Come on!" Without even waiting for an answer, he just ran off. It was to get away from that weird atmosphere as well as to flee from the man. He quickly ran up the stairs and waved the others over as he climbed the steps to finally settle in one of the fluffy couches. Everyone quietly filed in and spread over the various chairs and couches. Even Sasuke, Shino and Hinata one by one joined in.

"So… Naruto," a slightly tipsy Ino started once everyone had settled down somewhat, "who is this, if I may ask?"

"Um…" The blond scratched the back of his head as he desperately tried not to remember under which circumstances he had met the man. "This is…"

"My name is Nagato," the redhead declared with an unreadable smirk that sent shivers down some spines. "I met Naruto a few months ago when I was on a business trip here in Konoha and I found… a liking in him. So I came to meet him again."

_It just sounds wrong in so many ways, even if what he's saying is true!_ Naruto just wanted to rip out his hair in frustration when he saw the weird looks on his friends' faces.

Ino, already having drunk, suddenly started to giggle. "Oh, that gives me all the wrong ideas."

"Who knows," Pain drawled in his sultry voice, "maybe it's true. Huh, Naru-chan?"

A blush quickly tinted the blond's cheeks. "Na-Na-Na… Naru…" At some point Naruto's jaw just remained slack and dropped without the blond ever finishing his stutter.

This only sent Ino into a much heavier giggling fit and even Sakura couldn't hold back anymore. The boys didn't get what was supposed to be so funny, but they guessed they simply weren't drunk enough to understand it. The workings of a drunken female's mind…

Naruto's face heated up to a temperature where he thought his skin would melt off when Pain lightly grasped his chin and pushed his mouth shut with that aloof expression of his.

"Now, now, who knows what's going to fly into your mouth if you keep it open like that." Savoring that look of shocked embarrassment, Pain waved over a waiter and ordered drinks for all of them, saying it was on him and a chorus of gratitude by the teens following.

When said drinks were brought, Naruto was at first hesitant to try his, but soon gave in to temptation. The taste wasn't what he had expected, but he still found the effect surprising. The heat spreading throughout his entire body was calming and thrilling at the same time. Before he could even comment, Pain ordered a round of shots. Naruto didn't know a lot about the effects of alcohol, but seeing Kiba and Chouji gulping down the shots and afterwards cheerfully praising said shots caused him to do the same. The tipsier he got, the less he noticed and so he didn't mind when an arm settled on the backrest of the couch right behind his head. Looking to his side, he found Pain sitting so close to him that he could see the other's weird eyes up close. Narrowing his eyes, he suddenly inched closer to take a better look, but in the light still couldn't decide what color they were. His eyes then roamed over the man's face, stopping at Pain's lips. "You're a really handsome guy," he suddenly blurted, gaining everyone's attention.

Heads snapped to the blond, but he barely registered that he had said anything at all. When he did, Kiba leaned over the table to also take a closer look at the man with the orange hair.

"I guess he is," the Inuzuka admitted with his eyes narrowed in thought.

The next round of shots arrived and some of the teens were smart enough to quit here, the only ones not having drunk at all the ones that had also avoided the dance floor earlier.

Now used to the burning of the alcohol, Naruto downed the shot in one go and messily slammed the glass down onto the table top. He drunkenly swayed a bit in his seat and ended up leaning on Pain for support. Shifting his drooping head, he soon looked up at the older man and leaned up. The teen wrapped his arms around Pain's shoulders and leaned in to the other's face. "D'ya think my voice 's girly too?" he slurred.

That expressionless face never changed, but amusement could bee seen in those mysterious eyes. "Your voice sounds rather normal to me." Pain tilted his face towards the blond's just enough so that with Naruto's next slight movement, their lips met. The older man soon reached for the blond's hair to pull him even closer, Naruto letting himself delve into the kiss since it felt too nice to stop.

A slick tongue made its way into Naruto's mouth and the taste of alcohol on it only made him dizzier than he already was. His head was swimming as he felt roaming hands on his body and the grip on his hair tightening. Heat began to pool in his stomach and he released a tiny moan as he felt his lips stinging with upcoming bruises.

"Naruto!"

Something hard suddenly whacked the blond over the head, but he only slowly snapped out of it. When he did, he dazedly glanced around to find a furious Sakura glowering at him with a blush on her cheeks. Next to her, Ino was madly blushing while stifling just as mad giggles, while the others were merely staring in shock. Besides Sasuke of course. He looked calm and aloof as ever. On the outside at least.

"You can't just… just… _kiss_ someone like that."

Glassy eyes lazily trailing away from the girl's face to Pain's, Naruto just smiled goofily like the drunk blond he was. "But it's fuuuuun." Still smiling like an idiot, Naruto pecked Pain on the lips without noticing the predatory glint in the man's stony eyes.

Sakura seemed about ready to lynch her best friend. Furiously, she searched around for some solution, before her gaze focused on a certain brunet. "Kiba-kun! Do something! You're responsible for Naruto's libido!"

"What?" Realizing that yes, he had been assigned just that duty: watching over Naruto and his sex life, Kiba begrudgingly rose from his seat to quickly get to the blond's side. He carefully took Naruto's arms away from Pain's shoulders, but as he did so, a shiver ran down Kiba's spine once he felt the man's empty eyes on him. He stepped back with question and fear in his eyes, looking at Pain with withhold wariness. "Somethin' wrong?"

Not a muscle on Pain's face moved until he spoke. "I too think Naruto has had enough to drink."

"Eeeeeh?" came Naruto's indignant shout. The blond squirmed around until finally, he roughly tackled Kiba to the floor with loud laughter shaking his body.

"I'll safely bring him back home, since apparently, I am the one most sober. I also have a car, which makes it easier as well."

Doubt and worry flashed across Kiba's face, before being swept away from his alcohol-induced mind. Sakura as well seemed uncertain at first, but also nodded in agreement when she couldn't find a reason to protest. This Nagato-person didn't seem like someone she could trust fully, but she didn't think he would hurt Naruto in any way, since the blond usually avoided people who would. At least her feeling told her so.

"Then we'll make our leave." After a small bow, Pain pulled Naruto up from his seat and guided the drunken teen out of the club. He always kept a hand on Naruto lower back as they both walked to the back of the club.

Despite the way he had been acting before, Naruto now seemed very dormant. He stayed silent, walked straight and kept his head low. Knowing what was to come, he tried to prepare himself mentally. There were still some doubts if this was part of the job he was supposed to do for Akatsuki, but he knew that Pain would pay him well, no matter the circumstances. And money was what he needed right now. He didn't want to leave Iruka to live with someone else without ever paying him back. Iruka was starting to accumulate debts he needed to pay off and Naruto couldn't just leave him with those. Maybe this one job, this one client, would finally make him free.

"You are quite a good actor." Pain lightly ran his lips over Naruto's face the moment they stopped in a dark area behind the club, his fingers wandering along the hot skin of the unresponsive teen. "And you remind me of myself very much."

Naruto's blood was beginning to boil and the spots of skin that Pain touched tingled with heat. Labored breathing passed the blond's slightly quivering lips as he leaned against the cool wall behind him, his head dropping back as well. Now he could see those emotionless eyes on him, searching his features and observing him. He shut his anxiety-filled eyes as he saw the man's face inching closer. The kiss was a lot rougher and needier than before and only now Naruto noticed how much Pain seemed to let his guard down around him. Inside the club he had worn a smirk, but even that apparently had been fake. Usually, Pain was faceless and cold, but around him, he could live out something akin to passion. At least Naruto tried to tell himself this to make the whole thing less senseless, to make it seem as if _something_ was there beside mere lust that had to be stilled. A lust that dragged out Pain's inner desires and let him be as rough as he wanted, since he knew no one could hold him back.

"You may have noticed," Even after kissing as fervently as they had, Pain still wasn't even so much as breathless, "but I'm a bit stressed out. I need something to vent. Managing an organization as big as Akatsuki doesn't allow me a lot of freedom." To his statement, Naruto only nodded in response with his lips twitching in an attempt to smile. "Tell me if you feel like I'm forcing you."

This finally got Naruto out of his unresponsive stupor. "N-No. I'm just…"

"Just know that I don't want to cause my fellow student any pain."

"Fellow student?" A chuckle sounded right beside Naruto's ear, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

"I forgot," Pain mumbled, "Jiraiya probably hasn't taught you his ways."

Naruto was about to ask what exactly the man meant, when he heard the zipper of his pants being pulled down. Suddenly, he was turned around and pushed against the rough brick wall.

"Maybe one day he'll tell you about your parents."

The slightly shocked blond stayed silent, just stood there as he heard the shuffling of clothes and belts. He pressed his forehead against the wall and let the coldness soothe his mind and cool down his feverish skin. He gasped in surprise when he was suddenly turned back around again to face the orange-haired man. "What do you want from me?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. But it really irked him. What was the reason for a man like Pain to want someone as tainted as him?

"I want you to give yourself to me." The man's fingers that had been running all over Naruto's body now stopped at his face and remained on the blond's cheek. "Your body, your mind. Even if it's just for a moment, I want you to genuinely give yourself to me."

The fingers lightly running over his skin, barely touching him, the lips hovering around his, it all turned Naruto's mind into a mushy goo that wouldn't form any coherent thought.

"Could you do that?"

For the first time in his life, Naruto was given a choice. He wasn't just going to be pushed down and used, dirtied, defiled. No. Now he could say _No_ and go away. He had the chance to refuse and walk away. But those awkward eyes looking at him with something akin to a deeply hidden kindness gave Naruto the feeling of trust. He trusted Pain.

The blond nodded.

Lips clashed, zippers were pulled, clothes shuffled. Naruto was turned around and groped, kisses raining down on his skin, covering every inch reachable. He quickly lost his breath in the sudden excitement and the rush of adrenaline. A body pressed against his back and he could feel the warmth from Pain's body seeping through this clothes. Opening his eyes a slit, he saw the steam coming from his mouth for the first time, indicating how cold it seemed to be. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't even noticed before. He turned his head to the side when he felt arms wrapping around his waist and Pain's hot breath fanning over the back of his neck. He was hungry for the kiss that the man then gave him and didn't care that he was making sounds he usually would have felt ashamed of making. The effects of the alcohol were slowly kicking in, resulting in Naruto slowly loosing his coordination and colors beginning to wash away in front of his eyes. Soon he felt Pain's slickened cock pushing into him and the man quickly falling into a steady rhythm of thrusting. It was painfully slow in the beginning, the pace only slowly picking up. When it did, Naruto waited with each thrust for Pain to hit that spot within him. The man often briefly brushed against it, but never reached it and it frustrated the blond. It frustrated him to a point where he thought Pain was missing on purpose.

All of a sudden, the orange-haired man hit _it_ dead on. He did with each following thrust as well. Naruto felt as if he was being lifted into heaven, as if any worries and doubts were falling off of him, as if he couldn't feel more content than in that moment. That bliss was abruptly interrupted when a heat filled Naruto up and the thrusts weakened more and more, until a point where they were non-existent.

Pain was done with him.

"See this as compensation for making me sit around with children." Pain remained standing where he was, chuckles slipping past his lips when he felt Naruto squirming. "I'm offering you a deal, Naruto. I can give you freedom. Just come with me and I'll give you freedom. Stay with me and you won't have to have a care in the world anymore. Think about it." The man pulled out, released his hold on Naruto and didn't even watch as the blond bonelessly slid onto his knees, then onto his side. The sound of Pain's steps echoed and ricocheted from the walls as he left.

Once those had ceased, Naruto's heavy panting was the only thing filling the alley behind the club. The only thing running through his mind was the desire for release. For release from the pain of not being allowed to reach that peak.

Little did Naruto know of the ears listening to the music that were his almost pained gasps and wheezes.

The blond turned onto his back, feeling goosebumps forming all over his skin at the coldness attacking his bare rear. After a while it was too cold to bare, so he pulled his pants up just enough to not feel as if his skin would freeze off if he didn't. One hand on his stomach and one resting outstretched on the frigid ground, Naruto stared up into the dark night sky. At first, he couldn't make out a single star. But with time passing, he could make out more and more of them, though the brightness of Konoha was obscuring the shining of those usually brilliantly blazing orbs. And despite the alcoholic daze creeping up on him like a dose of morphine, he couldn't banish the heat of arousal from his body. He felt like crying since he felt like he had been used. But seeing that it had been Pain, he couldn't help but think that he had deserved it since he had forced the man to do something he hadn't come for to do. Somehow he couldn't get himself to be mad at Pain for this situation, only at himself.

All of a sudden, Naruto could hear someone approaching. He closed his eyes, hoping it was Pain showing at least a bit mercy, but deep down he knew that hope was probably futile. Listening to the sound of shoes hitting the ground growing louder, he kept his eyes shut and waited. The tight feeling in his aroused body remained.

The person stopped right beside the blond, but Naruto didn't dare to look up, not wanting to see the person's reaction to his disheveled appearance. By now he was sure it wasn't Pain. He could hear the shuffling of clothes as the person apparently knelt down beside him. The person was watching him. And it wasn't helping the arousal to disappear from his mind _and_ body. After a while sick of being blatantly stared at like that – in his mind at least –, Naruto slid an eye open just a slit to see someone wearing dark clothes looking down at him with an empty expression. His sight hazy, it took Naruto a while until he could identify the person. "Sasuke?"

The other teen snorted curtly and snapped his head away. "For a moment I thought you had finally bit the dust." Naruto merely hummed in response, surprising Sasuke with the lack of an angered comeback. Silently, he watched as Naruto quietly sat up, while sleepily rubbing his face. He quickly noticed the flush seeming to never vanish from the blond's skin and now eyed Naruto while keeping a distance. That desire for distance was crushed though when the other approached him on his own.

"Sasuke…"

Something of a choked gasp sounded from Sasuke and he tried to back away, but soon found the other teen in his arms. "You–"

"It fucking hurts," Naruto growled out somewhat grumpily.

"So?" Sasuke shot back with a deathly glare, about to shove the other teen off. "What am I supposed to do?" He turned his head away when Naruto lifted his head to look up at him and ended up getting their faces dangerously close to each other.

The blond weakly shrugged as he inched even closer. "Dunno. Fuck me or something."

"Idiot. As if–" Lips covered his before Sasuke could finish his sentence and the raven-haired teen remained stunned for a moment. When he realized what was going on, he punched Naruto's chest to throw him off, but the other having a tight grip on him, it only resulted in them falling over and him ending up underneath the blond, Naruto fervently reconnecting their lips after they had been severed. At some point, Sasuke was able to get a grip on Naruto himself, but somehow couldn't find the strength to create any more distance between them. It was as if something in him didn't _want_ to move away, though he felt downright horrified imagining that to be the case. Then a thought hit him. Moreover, a question crossed his mind. Had Naruto approached Kiba in this way too? Back then, knowing about it, Sasuke had been frustrated and angry for some reason. Not because of Naruto per se, but at Kiba. Why, he didn't understand. Perhaps it was jealousy, but Sasuke couldn't find a logic explanation as to why he would feel that way because of _Naruto_ of all people. He didn't understand why he felt almost… _gleeful_ to be kissed so heatedly. Sasuke simply gave his hormones the fault. He also gave his hormones the fault for making his fingers roam over Naruto's heated skin and ending up pulling the other even closer.

Countless tiny rocks were digging into the flesh of Sasuke's back and were probably scraping it open with all the movement, but for now the teen didn't care. For once his logic mind was overcome by whatever was happening to him, by something the teen couldn't or didn't want to explain. Feeling his body also heating up, Sasuke let his hands wander lower until they reached Naruto's hips, which he gripped tightly. He could feel the other grinding against him and heard Naruto moaning into the kiss as if he had been deprived of such a thing his entire life. A low growl forming in his throat, Sasuke dug his fingers deeply into the flesh beneath his hands, breaking the kiss to connect his teeth with Naruto's neck instead. He could faintly smell a different scent on the teen, probably _that_ man's scent. It irked him. It was distracting. It was so annoying that Sasuke angrily pushed his teeth into the skin. Only when the smell of blood covered up any other scent was he satisfied. All the while, on top of him Naruto was oh so close to his limits, but was constantly being merely teased, the teen moaning, gasping for air, cursing under his ragged breath.

"I won't ever be free… will I?"

Sasuke immediately ceased any movement to look up at the other, only realizing that the blond had been basically dominating him the entire time. It sent a disgruntled scowl onto his face. "What did that man say to you?" The teen hovering above him merely turned his head away, not showing him his features, but a frown marring his face. A closed off frown the raven-haired teen knew all too well. It annoyed Sasuke. Suppressing a growl, the older teen flipped them over so that he was now on top of the blond. He took a firm hold of Naruto's arms and pushed him down, preventing him from escaping. "Tell me."

"He…"

Smirking, Sasuke chuckled to himself, before he gripped both of Naruto's wrists and held them in place, snapping his other hand down the other's body to his crotch, squeezing and making Naruto squirm and moan much louder than before. He kept his hand there no matter how much the other resisted. In a sadistic way, he almost enjoyed the look of anguish and pleasure on Naruto's face coupled with shame. Still hearing no response, Sasuke only tightened his hold, rubbing Naruto through the fabric of the jeans covering his crotch.

"He offered me… a deal," Naruto quickly forced out. When Sasuke stopped squeezing him, the blond used that chance to catch his breath and continue talking before he was reduced to a panting mess of bliss and pain again. "H-He told me he would give me freedom if I went with him."

"Freedom from what?" Sasuke's voice was cold, his tone aloof, almost as if he wasn't currently molesting his classmate and rival.

Not wanting to answer, Naruto turned his head to side again and now found another brick wall in his sight, as well as trash cans. Could the scenery get any more cliché? He, the teen prostitute, had been fucked by a _pseudo_-customer in a dark and filthy alleyway behind a club. And he hadn't even gotten paid. What a lousy whore he was.

"From Akatsuki?"

Naruto's head snapped back to face Sasuke again, the blond now wearing an expression of shock, his dread poorly masked. "How…"

"Don't put me in a group with those oblivious friends of yours." Casually turning his head away as if they were having a just as casual conversation, Sasuke still kept his _hold_ on Naruto. "Madara, that bastard. Doing as he pleases as always."

"Y-You know… him?"

Expression calm and nonchalant, Sasuke suppressed the urge to shrug. "That's only natural, since I'm distantly related to him."

_Are they alike?_ Naruto asked himself this as he stared up at Sasuke, seeing the sweat forming on that pale skin. He tried to see the hidden malice in those obsidian eyes, the same malice he could sometimes see in Madara's. He saw nothing. Unconsciously, he lifted up a hand to cup Sasuke's cheek and pull him closer, to see his eyes more clearly. Maybe they held an answer. But before he could get his answer, a bullet of bliss shot through his body as Sasuke squeezed him again. This time he gave up on holding his control and just gave in, letting all those moans pass his lips and slowly tilting his head back against the ground, arching his back. His chest was rapidly rising and falling, shaking even. He wanted to yell at Sasuke for only frustrating him even more and causing him that kind of pain.

"Tell me more."

"Am I interrupting?" a familiar voice suddenly cut in casually.

The two teens' heads snapped towards the ray of light suddenly shining in their faces, closing their eyes as it blinded them immediately with its brightness. Still confused and disorientated, Naruto had problems figuring out who that voice belonged to.

"Kakashi," Sasuke murmured lowly, venom in his voice. Much like someone who _wasn't_ looking as if molesting another, he straightened up, but didn't leave Naruto who was still sporting an obvious flush and a bulge in his pants.

"Yo!" the white-haired man greeted them lightly, curtly waving his hand with his closed eyes curving, a flat smile hidden beneath that surgical mask of his. The strange thing about him was his attire and the person with a long metal needle between his lips beside him. "Thought I heard something back here and came to check. And look what I found!"

Naruto finally managed to sit up after having lost his breath for a while. He pushed against Sasuke's chest and after the other had stood up, he as well got up from the ground with his back to the two newcomers. Sasuke was standing in front of him and blocking him from view.

"What do you want?" Sasuke inquired harshly, yet calmly. "And why are you dressed like a policeman?"

Kakashi's smile finally faded a bit and he opened his eyes to reveal a look of surprise. "Why? Well because I _am_ a policeman of course."

"And in the morning you work as a t–"

"I think I'll have to arrest you for public indecency," the man suddenly cut in with finality swinging in his tone, not allowing any back-talking. "Would you kindly come with me and my partner to the police station?"

The raven-haired teen clicked his tongue in annoyance, but complied as they slowly left the alley and made sure to stay in front of his rival who stuck close to him and held his head low. He inconspicuously watched as Kakashi glanced up at the dingy building in which people were still dancing, drinking and doing who-knows-what. One of Sasuke's eyebrows cocked as he saw the man starting to rub his chin and humming in thought.

"Seeing the place you apparently came from, I think I might just have to check on what you may be _carrying_ around with you." Kakashi finished that sentence with his lips apparently curling into a smile beneath that mask.

Sasuke didn't like that gleam in the man's eyes _at all_.

* * *

><p>Man, I love dropping off hints no one will understand. To me it's obvious what's gonna happen, though I think it's somehow… not that easy to find out what Kakashi's planning with just that sentence of his. And <em>Yay!<em> for the SasuNaru fluff (not)! Can you see where this story's going now? Guess not…

So this Naruto having a girly voice… Well, he has! It's bound to be like that since his voice actor is a girl! And I'm having so much fun with Naruto having a _girly_ voice, I think I'm gonna make this a recurring gag.

And just on a side-note: I'm already pondering what to write once this story is done (in a long time). I have several stories already started and lot of ideas for each, but I really can't decide which to concentrate on. And no matter how simple or initially boring they may seem, you guys know me as an author and my ability, so I trust that you'll be able to choose well without thinking that one idea won't work out. Cause I promise, most of them will be awesome and will be written, just not at the same time. So I'm gonna list my ideas here and you guys can go to my profile and vote for one. All stories will involve SasuNaru to different extents.

The first idea is a story with a **zombie theme**. The SasuNaru here will not be a main point – obviously, cause everyone's panicking over people coming back to life and trying to eat you – but still present. Because I'm a real fanatic when it comes to zombies, I'm gonna try to make this based on _facts_ as much as possible. It'll be pretty gory and more on the shocking and scary side, but also extremely epic and adrenaline-inducing.

My second idea would involve my newest and currently biggest passion: **K-Pop**, or_ J-Pop_, in this case. I know it sounds like a weird story to write, but this would be a story with SasuNaru as a main point, while them being in rivaling bands would be the theme. I'll try to give you guys a glimpse behind what you see on TV and such with the knowledge I've gained. Romance and drama full of tears all the way! There will also be some supernatural things involved.

Then there's this other idea in my head. It's actually a story that I wanted to write instead of this one, but somehow I lost interest in it. The story would revolve around Naruto and Sasuke **trying to break out of prison**, after being put there for crimes they may or may have not committed. It would be SasuNaru centered, with both of them unaware of their feelings for each other for quite a while, but developing some kind of friendship.

Personally, I'd like to either write the zombie one or the K-Pop one the most, but the prison break idea seems interesting to me too. It's just that right now I get the most ideas for the first two ones. So help me decide and vote for whatever you want to read after this. I'll tell you the result as soon as I feel like I have enough votes to be able to decide.

Next chapter: Maturity

– Murasaki B


	26. Maturity

Oh Shisus, Anonymous, I love you! My fellow Exotic! If I could, I'd shower you in my love all day! Let's roll like buffalos together! *rolls like a buffalo* Seriously, aren't Tao and Kris the most awesome people ever? I just immediately fell in love with Tao's scary panda eyes and unintentional _Imma gonna keel you now_ look. And Kris: _Maybe next time _lmao_. _And Chanyeol's _voice _when he raps and talks! *dies*

Sorry for taking… I don't know how long. Honestly, I was just so busy with my tumblr. And with Super Junior. You know… Fangirling over them whenever there was anything new. They released a new album! And just to let you know: I cry once in a blue moon (i.e. never), but when SJ's repackaged album came out and I heard the song my ultimate bias Leeteuk composed and wrote… I just sat there smiling and within seconds I was suddenly crying. I have _never_ cried out of happiness before! But Teukie has been writing songs ever since his debut and I'm just so happy for him! *cries rivers again* SJ just makes me really emotional.

Sorry for talking about things that aren't related to the story, but a lot of you seem interested in the things I write anyway, so I guess it's okay. Just tell me if it's annoying. I won't stop gushing over the hotness of Super Junior and EXO either way, but… oh well. I may try to cut down on it a bit.

I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Both belongs to Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXVI<span>  
><span>– Maturity –<span>

Neither of the two teens could tell how late it was, only that it _was_ late. Naruto because the alcohol had finally caught up with his mind and Sasuke because he was too busy brooding and sending the blond death glares whenever he dared to breathe too loudly. This was – obviously – constantly the case, seeing how the other teen wasn't merely breathing loudly, but constantly blabbering on about whatever came to his mind. Just like any drunk would. Kakashi ignoring whatever happened in the back of his car didn't help either. The thing most unsettling though were the various fireworks and tons of confetti covering the floor of the car like a carpet. Sasuke kept casting suspicious glances at the fireworks, almost as if they would combust any moment on their own just to annoy him.

"What are these?" he inquired sharply as he lifted one of the rockets for Kakashi to see in the rear mirror.

An amused chuckle sounded from the man. "Those are leftovers from… New Year's Eve."

"_Which_ New Year's Eve?"

"Don't play around with those too much, Sasuke," Kakashi merely returned. "They're a bit ruffed up from rolling over the floor all the time. That goes for you too, Naruto!"

The blond responded to the warning with a drunken salute and with his head bonking against the window as they made a turn. Sasuke simply dropped that hell-born thing from his hand and crossed his arms, snapping his head to the side to look outside. He was oh so close to drifting off, when warmth suddenly engulfed him. Glancing the other way, he found Naruto sprawled all over him with a goofy grin on his face.

"Saaaasuke, stop bein' s' moooochy. Y'look like moooo like that. _Really_ moooooo!"

The only thing lining Sasuke's features now was pure bewilderment and something akin to shock. Harshly he pushed the other off of him and threw in a kick, just to be sure. Naruto went off babbling again, but the raven-haired teen paid it no mind. After a while, the younger teen seemed to have calmed a bit, for he was staring out of the window with wide eyes, as if the sight outside held all the mysteries of the world and beyond.

"Has he taken any–"

"No," Sasuke sternly interrupted the young bandana-wearing brunet. He seemed only a bit younger than Kakashi, the Uchiha noted.

Suddenly, a strange hissing noise next to him alarmed Sasuke that something bad was about to happen. Something very, very bad. As he turned to face the teen next to him, his eyes widened a fraction as he saw the gleaming light of a sparking firework, smoke quickly filling the car like a thick fog.

"Naruto!" three people yelled at the same time.

"How did he even light it?"

"Sasuke! Take it from him! Hurry!"

"This dumbass!"

"Lighty, lighty, shiiiiine!"

The brilliantly white sparking firework then dropped slowly along with a small "Oops". Someone tried to catch it, but in the end, all the occupants could do was watch. It seemed as if it was falling in slow motion, slowly but surely sealing their doom.

Meanwhile, an elderly woman was preparing tea for her husband and herself, said husband lethargically sitting in an armchair while a radio hummed with music in the background.

"Dear, what is going on outside? What is all that screaming?" he questioned with a tilt of his head.

His wife scoffed at him for a moment since he didn't have the drive to go and look for himself, but she was curious as well, so she ventured towards the window to take a look. What she observed was a police car crudely parked with light coming from inside. It was shaking and bobbing wildly as if a war was going on inside. "There is a police car and I think something is exploding inside."

"It probably is one of those new playthings again. Only God knows whatever these smart phones may be."

"Are you sure?" the fair-haired woman wanted to know. "It sounds like someone is in pain." Shaking her head in an annoyed manner as she didn't receive an answer, the woman now opened the window to look outside.

Just in that moment, a shell-shocked teen walking by looked up at her with his face white as a sheet. Seeing the old woman, he mumbled a "Shit", before grabbing a hold of his phone and quickly dialing a number. "Dude!" he yelled into it. "I swear to Pete, there's an old hag throwing bombs on a police car here!"

* * *

><p>"I'll be taking you two into custody for assault of a police officer." Kakashi didn't miss Sasuke scoffing at that. "Since there is reason for believing you are carrying drugs with you, I'll have to perform a strip search on both of you," the man drawled dully, seeming as if he had said that sentence a thousand times already. Just what kind of people did he pick up during night shift? A strand of his white hair slightly singed, he easily dodged the sloppy punch then thrown at him. "Now there. Be careful, or you'll end up hurting someone."<p>

"Mmmmmmh, don' wanna!" Again, Naruto tried to hit the taller man, but ended up nearly kissing the floor had Kakashi's partner not caught him.

Sighing, Kakashi took the teen from his partner. "Naruto, this is a necessary procedure. I may loose my job if I don't abide by _most_ of the rules." He dodged yet another drunken fist punch with ease. "Gemna, you take care of Sasuke for me while I do a cavity search on Naruto. He seems too out of it for only a strip search." Once his partner had nodded and taken the much more compliant of the two teens away, Kakashi dragged Naruto to a different room.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had to completely strip and stand still while the seemingly bored policeman looked him over. Bend over, cough, straighten up and he was done. In short: It was humiliating beyond belief, to say the least. But then he told himself that Naruto was probably off much worse. Although, considering the blond was drunk off his ass, Naruto probably wouldn't remember any of it.

Then he heard the scream.

Already fully clothed again, Sasuke rushed out the room before Genma could stop him. He almost ran over a secretary, but she tripped in shock either way. And the screaming was only getting worse, more terrified, more panicked.

Sasuke reached the door he thought the noise was coming from, now a hundred percent sure that it was Naruto. Preparing himself for the worst, he ripped open the door and charged inside.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled as he tried to hold the blond down. He quickly noticed the newcomer and sent him a rarely seen serious look. "Sasuke, take over."

"What?"

All of a sudden, the man let go of Naruto completely and quickly backed away and past Sasuke, out of the room. "Good luck," he whispered, before closing the door behind the teen.

The sound of a lock clicking chimed loudly.

"_What?_" Looking back and forth between the now sealed door and the teen whimpering in the corner, Sasuke was at a loss for what to do. Clenching his fists, eyebrows beginning to develop an annoyed tick, he was struggling to hold his composure. A sniff woke him from his musings over the many ways he could torture and kill Hatake Kakashi. Releasing a silent sigh, Sasuke walked over to the blond and knelt down beside him. To him the blond seemed like a child that had either just broken something and was scared of its parents' reaction or a child that had just been molested by a thirty-year-old man. Sasuke leaned towards the latter. "Dumbass," he quietly sighed under his breath as he pondered what to do with the blond before him. "What happen–"

"He tried t' _rape_ me!"

_Now_ Sasuke was beginning to think that this wasn't just a drunken and slightly shocked Naruto talking to him, but a down-right terrified one. "Kakashi was merely _abiding_ by the rules since you were refusing the cavity search. He didn't try to rape you, he–"

"He toushed me!"

"As I said…" Sasuke was beginning to loose his patience, having to control his upcoming anger and need to punch the blond, "Kakashi was doing his job."

"Looks like his job's a'ways 'bout gropin'!"

At this, Sasuke's eyebrows creased in question. "Always? He has touched you before?" _I knew he was a pervert, but–_

"He keeps toushin' me whenever gez the shance!" Naruto suddenly stopped crying and lifted his head to let it knock back against the wall he was sitting in front of. "Dude…" he slurred tiredly, "are ya gonna stay with…" Reaching out, the blond waited for the other to answer, to say something. But instead of an answer, he only felt a warmth wrapping around his own ice-cold fingers. Closing his eyes, he smiled as he straightened up a little. "Am I a whore?"

Sasuke was surprised when cerulean eyes suddenly locked firmly with his, slitted and barely open, yet sharp and imploring. Almost as if Naruto wasn't close to passing out. Tensing a little when those frigid fingers tightened around his, Sasuke settled down a bit more comfortably. "Do _you_ think so?"

The blond chuckled humorlessly, almost coldly. "Sure. I'm not Madara's whore to be called a saint."

Searching those haunted eyes, Sasuke found it hard to read Naruto, the one that was usually like an open book. The person in front of him wasn't anyone he knew. It was someone haunted by memories, by regret, grief, anger, sadness. Someone trapped in an endless cycle of asking questions and never receiving answers.

Naruto suddenly leaned forward, seeming like a tiger ready to pounce as he closed in on Sasuke. Before the other could back away too far, he wrapped his arms around the other's neck and pulled him close enough so their noses were almost touching. "Would you still want me if you knew with who I slept, with _how many_ I already slept?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and growled lowly, deep in his throat. It angered him. That voice not belonging to Naruto, but still speaking from his mouth. "Would it make any difference?"

"It would."

A trademark Uchiha smirk formed on the older teen's face, an idea popping into his mind. "What if I told you that I'm offering you a deal?"

The smile on Naruto's face widened as well. He seemed oddly clear for someone with so much alcohol in his circularity system. "About Madara? Why would you do that?"

"I dislike him," Sasuke dead-panned. "I would do anything to thwart his ridiculous schemes."

"Interesting," Naruto chuckled, looking almost calculating as he eyed the other, something usually not seen on him. "What kind of deal is this you're talking about?"

Sasuke bumped his forehead against the other's, his smirk broadening indiscernibly. "I think you can imagine."

* * *

><p>"I'm thankful for what you've done, but please, just leave now."<p>

_Who's that?_

"What?" another retorted almost jokingly. "I can't stay even though I bailed him out of jail? That's cold, Iruka. Real cold."

_Iruka? Why's he…_

"To be honest, I don't like you very much and I don't like you being around Naruto." Iruka sounded weirdly tense, almost as if he was holding something back. His voice was distant and seemed to come from the front door.

"Oh, getting protective?" A chuckle. "Don't make me laugh."

Iruka lowered his voice into a hiss as he continued. "Leave or I'll call the police."

"Fine, fine! Jeez, no need to get your frilly pink panties in a mess, worry dwarf."

"Thank you for bringing him."

A door slammed shut then and Naruto briefly noted that he wasn't wearing pants or shoes and was lying in his own bed. Before he could call out to his current guardian, he passed out right then and there without even being able to lift his head, feeling a headache slowly developing.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Naruto awoke due to a splitting headache annoying him out of his alcohol-induced dreams. Very colorful and random dreams. <em>Colorful<em> meaning they had looked like what the blond imagined someone stoned would see and _random_ meaning that there had been unicorns with two horns. Bicorns, to be politically correct.

"Shit," he mumbled as he sat up rubbing his head. "I'll never drink again."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he snapped his head into the direction the voice had come from. "I-Iruka?"

The man looked terrifying with a mix of rage, fury, wrath and overall, the entire range of angry emotions floating all over his face with a _tiny_ hint of disappointment mixed into it. "Naruto," he growled lowly like a beast readying itself for the kill. "How come someone had to pay a fee to get you out of prison for the assault of an officer and supposed drug abuse, huh?"

"Uh…"

Iruka began to tap his foot impatiently.

"Well, you see…"

An eyebrow rose.

"Um…"

"Naruto!"

"I was drunk!" the blond yelled throwing his arms up in surrender. "I'm sorry! I was so drunk, I don't remember any of that ever happening! And if I ever harmed any trusty enforcers of our law, then I'm sorry!"

"What about drugs?"

"Uh…"

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

"I swear I don't remember doing any!"

Continuing to glare at the teen for two full minutes, Iruka relaxed a little once he realized Naruto wouldn't spill anything else. "Kakashi-san told me that you tried to blow him up, that you refused to go by the usual procedure when he tried to search you for drugs and that you tried to punch him."

"Bullshit!" Seeing that slight twitch of anger on the other's face, Naruto quickly sported a sheepish expression. "I-I mean that uh… well with the blowing up and uh… the refusing and um…" _Wait… Kakashi…_

"You don't remember."

"Exactly!" Naruto declared pointing into the brunet's direction.

"We already established that." Iruka now realized that Naruto either had lost portions of his brain to the alcohol or he was simply still drunk off his ass. Or both. "Never mind. Just get ready for school. It's about time." The man then made to leave.

Glad that he had gotten out of that ordeal without a punishment, Naruto–

"Oh, and no ramen for an entire week, Naruto."

Naruto's dramatic shout of a _No_ could be heard down the entire street and people were starting to wonder if that new neighbor of theirs that had seemed like such a nice young man perhaps was actually a sadist torturing poor children.

* * *

><p>The walk to school was like the longest and hardest marathon Naruto knew of. Not that he ever had participated in one, but with the way his entire body pounded and the colors swam before his eyes, he imagined a marathon to be kind of like that. The morning sun, even though it was still not too high in the sky, burned his eyes whenever he looked up from the ground, a hood blocking most of the light. Naruto truly and honestly would never <em>ever<em> drink any alcohol again.

He arrived at school thinking he was about to die and somehow managed to drag himself into the general direction of his classroom. But before he could reach out to heave himself up yet another staircase while grabbing the railing, his feet gave away beneath him. Having ascended up a few steps already, he easily stumbled back and fell. In his head deciding that yes, with the way he was falling he would end up cracking open his head and accepted that it was his time to die.

It was surprising how easily at peace he was with it.

Time seemed to have stopped all of a sudden. Naruto was staring up at the ceiling wondering if perhaps he had already hit the floor and was now only waiting to die of blood loss. Maybe he was only half dead and the last thing he had seen, the ceiling, was imprinted into his retinas.

Then eyes appeared in his view. Those unwelcoming and closed off eyes.

Closing his eyes for a second, then opening them again, Naruto ended up dumbly blinking up at the face that he was seeing upside-down for some reason. Looking down at himself, he found his feet still lingering on the steps, although he was somewhat lying in the air. His head spinned and he groaned, closing his eyes.

"Hey," the other's voice called out to him in an annoyed fashion.

Only opening his eyes with reluctance, the blond eyed the face closer this time. "Sasuke?"

The other sighed in exasperation. "For how long are you planning to let me hold you, idiot?"

"Oh, right." When Sasuke suddenly let go of him, Naruto just barely managed to avoid landing on his head and instead landed on his ass, which still hurt. "Fuck," he hissed, rubbing his rear as he slowly staggered up. Once he was standing upright again, rubbing over his eyes, he wondered why his rival hadn't left yet and was standing there as if waiting for him. "What's up, bastard?"

"I was planning to discuss something with you."

This caused a frown to bloom on the blond's face. "You? With me?"

"Obviously, you dumbass."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved off lazily, too out of it to manage a decent verbal war with his rival. "So what is it?" The almost shark-like smirk that Sasuke's lips then pulled into sent chills all over the teen's body.

"I have a plan. It's something like a deal."

_I'm offering you a deal, Naruto. I can give you freedom. _

Slowly, Naruto's head lowered further and further, until he was blankly staring at the linoleum floor he was standing on. "What's with all these deals lately?" he mumbled quietly, talking more to himself than to the smirking raven in front of him.

Sasuke quietly chuckled as he eyed the silent blond. "I'm pretty sure my plan will work out."

* * *

><p>"Just <em>no<em>, you fucking bastard!"

People even turned around to look at the weird pair in the back rows that had been arguing more than usual. Well, more _awkwardly_ than usual, seeing how Sasuke was apparently very content with how things were going.

Noticing the attention, Naruto silenced himself a bit. "No way I'm doing that!" he hissed embarrassedly, the blush seeming as if tattooed into the skin of his cheeks.

"Then how are people supposed to believe it?"

"It's exactly that that'll make people_ not_ believe it!"

Sasuke quickly brought his face closer to the blond's, tilting his head to the side a bit and making it look as if they were about to kiss. He had to suppress a laugh at the _deer caught in headlights_ type of look in those cerulean eyes. Gripping the back of Naruto's head and tangling his fingers into the tousled locks of blond hair, he softly pressed his lips against the other's. He could feel Naruto first loosening up, then all of a sudden going rigid as a board. And just like that one time before, he felt wetness sliding down his cheek. This time, he merely slid his lips away from the blond's to shift them to Naruto's cheeks. Slowly, he licked the liquid away and trailing higher, he lightly kissed the skin beneath the eye that was glaring back at him with a look filled with fear and hate.

Backing away as far as he could in his seat, Naruto averted his face away from the other. "I really can't do this," he whispered shakily. He felt the hand on the back of his head linger for a moment, before sliding to his cheek, staying there a second, then dropping entirely. Only now he noticed the stares being sent their way and now his _deer caught in headlights _look reached its final form: the _deer caught in headlights with the deer knowing it's going to be screwed over a few times before dying _look_. _He almost jumped out of his skin in surprise, then wished for the ground to open up and drop him into a dark and deep hole where no one would find him. The blond felt even the skin on his chest becoming hot with embarrassment.

"That…" a brown-haired girl mumbled quietly into the dead silence, "was kinda hot actually."

Some of the male occupants in the room groaned incredulously at this, sending distasteful looks at the usually fighting pair. The giggles around them only caused more distaste to rush through their veins, the teenage boys wondering what it was about guys kissing other guys that girls seemed to like. But somehow, they still didn't look away. They were content with staring and quietly whispering about the pair.

"See what kind of shit you're getting me into?" Naruto hissed so loud, almost the entire room heard. By now he really didn't care anymore, seeing how he was screwed either way.

"Just to remind you," Sasuke drawled calmly, much like someone that hadn't just ravished his rival's mouth, "currently, I'm attempting to get you _out of shit. _The kind you're _already_ in. Remember: if I claim you, Madara won't be able to lay a hand on you."

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Naruto scoffed at this. "You can shove your attempts up your own ass. Just–"

"I would rather shove something up _your _ass." Sasuke inwardly cheered at the rage crossing the blond's face, Naruto hardly able to suppress the want to break out into a fist fight. Just a bit more. He leaned in close to the blond in order to huskily whisper into his ear, which only caused the other to go rigid again. "I would make you moan, make you beg for more, for me to–"

A fist connected with the side of Sasuke's face, but he quickly caught himself and smirked up at his now standing rival. The room was dead silent, the students waiting for Naruto to strike and sate his hunger for sweet revenge, bloody murder painted on his face. Instead of raging all over the classroom – mainly over Sasuke though – Naruto lowered his head and seemed as if shaking in suppressed anger.

He turned his head away so people wouldn't see his expression.

"Bastard," he whispered in a weak attempt of a hiss. The blond dropped into his seat, arms crossed and his shoulders hunched. People were unable to tell what he was thinking at that moment as he stared at the dirty floor. "You fucking bastard."

_Who does he think he is, treating me like his whore._

* * *

><p>Two parties had formed among the group of friends: one was made up of neutral spectators that were watching the other party that currently had internal wars raging and consisted of three teenage boys. Both parties were facing each other as they sat at the tables outside.<p>

"I think it's fishy," Kiba stated as he glared at the Uchiha. His distaste about the current situation was clearly written all over his disgruntled face. He kept trying to pull Naruto closer to him and away from the raven-haired teen, his arms wrapped protectively around the blond's shoulders.

A smirk formed on Sasuke's face and instead of backing off – you guessed it – he merely inched closer to the blond, effectively squeezing him in between himself and the Inuzuka. "Why would you be so dissatisfied by this situation? I thought the idiot and you were only close _friends_."

"We are!" the brunet immediately responded loudly. "That's why I have to keep him safe from people like you."

"People like me?"

Feeling the beginnings of a claustrophobic episode coming up, Naruto tried to soothe the two. Well, at least Kiba. Sasuke could rage on and make a jerk out of himself for all he cared. "Kiba, I'm able to judge–"

"Will you leave your filthy hands off of him, Uchiha!" Kiba growled out harshly, shooting a heated glare at his enemy. He felt compelled to protect Naruto from whatever Sasuke was intending to do with him. Just seeing the bruise on the blond's neck gave Kiba the evidence that Sasuke wasn't just messing around _for fun_, which in itself would have been out of character for the stoic teen. The Uchiha was actually intending to mess around _with_ _Naruto_. Knowing what his friend had had to go through, what he had endured in the past, Kiba couldn't just let Sasuke do whatever he pleased out of mere amusement.

Sasuke chuckled as he saw both the anger and the challenge in Kiba's eyes. The brunet had more guts than he had thought. "Why should I? He's fresh meat, isn't he?"

"Hey now, I'm–"

Yet again Kiba ignored Naruto's protest in his rage. "He isn't!"

"Oh?" This was turning out to be more interesting than Sasuke had expected it to be. He had thought of Kiba as being someone that would back off after a while. "Then who is he supposed to be with?"

"Um…" _Quick, think! _Kiba had to ponder his next move quickly, yet carefully. What he would say next would be essential for future outcomes. "Me!" _Idiot!_ And he ruined it. "Y-Yeah. Me. Exactly."

"Is that so?" Sasuke drawled amusedly, the smirk apparent in his deep voice. "Somehow, I never had the impression you two were _that_ close. I can't quite believe it. Especially when…" Pausing for a moment, the teen ignored the look of dread and disgust on Naruto's face and leaned in close enough to be able to briefly trail his lips over the blond's ear, then suck on the skin of his neck for a split second, eliciting a tiny choked gasp of surprise, "when he reacts like this."

Magma seemed to rapidly boil up within Kiba for he looked like a volcano about ready to burst by now. "I-It's true though." Seeing the mocking look on his enemy's face, Kiba knew what was expected of him. He had to somehow make it clear that Naruto was _his _and that they simply belonged together. Conveying this was especially hard regarding the fact that this wasn't true at all. Before he could have any doubts, he cupped Naruto's chin with his thumb and index finger, then turned the other's head so they were facing each other. Gulping down his nervousness, he tried to be gentle as he albeit roughly grabbed the back of the blond's head and crashed their lips together in an at first rather crude kiss.

Their noses had nearly collided, but quick reacting on Kiba's part had gladly prevented that. He had kissed Naruto before, had shared _real_ kisses with him from time to time, when things had turned out that way. Everything had been initiated by Naruto though most of the time. Kiba felt like taking the initiative this time instead of just waiting to see what Naruto was going to do to his mouth. Hearing a small mewl when he tilted his head into a much better angle, Kiba smirked victoriously, forgetting the people watching them. He forcibly pushed his tongue into the blond's mouth and slid his tongue over the other's. For the first time being the one in control like this, Kiba trailed his tongue over each slick speck he could reach in Naruto's mouth. He only opened his eyes when he suddenly heard Naruto gasping and nearly breaking the kiss had the brunet not been holding his head in place. Casting a glance to what was happening behind Naruto, Kiba caught sight of a mop of that hated raven hair.

Sasuke was feeling his way up Naruto's abdomen and sides, his hands having disappeared underneath the blond's shirt. He was close enough to be able to teasingly breathe into his longtime rival's ear.

Before Kiba could take countermeasures that involved heavy groping and dirty talking, a shout interrupted the three.

"I've seen about enough," Shikamaru forced out loudly, looking about ready to leave his body. As long as the utterly blank look on his face was anything to go by.

With that the fight magically broke up, though Kiba remained holding Naruto close in a protective manner.

* * *

><p>"As you all know," Kakashi bellowed, shutting up the class, "our class is supposed to organize the play that's going to be shown at the school festival." One particular student was not paying attention and so the white-haired teacher felt compelled to slam his book onto said students desk, which caused Kiba to jump in surprise and nearly out of his seat.<p>

"Wha–" The brunet quickly wiped the drool from his mouth and then, with sleepy eyes, tried to feign attention.

Looking as if smiling creepily beneath his mask, Kakashi began to walk up and down the front of the room. "This year, the play is going to be _Romeo & Juliet._" At the cheers of the girls, the teacher's face darkened for a moment and he quickly cut off the happy shouts. "What is planned is performing this play the way it was supposed to be: only with male actors."

"W-Wait," a drastically paled male student spoke up, "that means one of us _guys_ will have to play Juliet?"

"Why of course," Kakashi beamed. "At the time Shakespeare wrote _Romeo & Juliet_, women weren't allowed onto stages, meaning in the very beginning, Juliet was always played by men. I want you _guys_ to decide who's going to play what roles. And choose wisely, otherwise the play will only make this class look ridiculous in front of the others and you don't want that, right?" The serious expression on Kakashi's face remained for a long time as he intently stared at the faces of his students. Suddenly, he broke into that weird hidden smile of his. "Then I'll leave you in the hands of my competent colleague."

After the man had left and the class waited for the next teacher, the students immediately broke out into a discussion of which student should _man up_ and just take the part of Juliet. Some of the boys were immediately erased as options, people like Chouji and Kiba, since they didn't fit the part for obvious reasons. The class came to the decision that Sasuke was suited for both main roles and rather quickly, the students split into two parties: the boys, who wanted to force the girl role onto the _pretty boy,_ and the girls that wanted their _Sasuke-sama_ to be Romeo, since in their eyes, he fit the role the best.

The heated discussion was interrupted by Anko entering the room looking fierce as ever, almost as if knowing that she would be facing largely accumulated stupidity. The biology teacher dropped her belongings onto the teacher's desk, regarded who was present and proceeded to write onto the board. "Today's biology lesson will be an introduction to sex education, which you probably already had in the past, although we'll be talking about some things in a more biological way."

Being the mature class they were, the students broke out into a flurry of previously unseen enthusiasm, along with _decent_ jokes and calls of a highly _mature_ level. Despite this, Anko continued with the lesson and had to be faced with the fact that this class was a lot more mature than she had thought, seeing how the sound of mature giggles was her eternal companion for that lesson.

After some time, the teacher pointed something out on her drawing on the blackboard made up of a crudely drawn tampon surrounded by what looked to be nachos. At least it looked like that to the mature students. "See, sperm is surrounded by sugar."

Sakura, as mature as she was, raised her hand and cocked her a head a little. "You mean to say that semen is like sugar?"

"Yes, basically," Anko nodded, already turning back to her board to add more to her masterpiece.

"Doesn't taste like sugar though," Naruto suddenly mumbled quietly from the back rows.

Being the mature class with creepily well hearing bat ears they were, the mature students heard anyway and ended up turning to send the teen weird glares.

"What?" The blond shrugged, unaware of what was supposed to be so wrong about– "Oops…"

The occupants of the room continued to stare at the blond for a while, before one of the males broke the awkward silence.

"I think Uzumaki should be Juliet."

The blond in question didn't process the words at first and only did so when he properly noticed the malicious and evil smiles sent into his directions. "What?" he heatedly raged. "No way in hell am I gonna play a girl! Do I look girly to you?"

"Well, yeah," Shikamaru spoke up, surprisingly. "We'll put a wig on you and the illusion will be perfect." Now that's healthily mature sarcasm. "It has been ascertained in the past that your voice is indeed very girly-sounding."

"I do not sound girly!" Naruto screeched, which only resulted in the entire class murmuring in agreement after realizing that Shikamaru was right. It being Shikamaru saying it almost automatically made it true in everyone's mind anyway. "I have a dick in case you all don't know!" The enraged blond shot up from his seat motioning towards his lower half with wild gestures. "Do I have to show you proof, huh?" Naruto went as far as opening his pants and starting to pull them down, which urged the mature Kiba to jump up and stop him by restricting his movements. The brunet did this by wrapping his arms around the teen's torso and arms, effectively immobilizing him to some extent. "Let me go, you traitorous bastard! Do you want to see me in a dress that badly?"

"It's decided!" Ino yelled over the mature snickers, shouts and cat calls. "Naruto is Juliet and Sasuke is Romeo!"

"No way in hell!"

* * *

><p>I'm so glad I can finally write Naruto in-character. It's so much more fun that him being all emo with his <em>Fuck society<em> shit. I'm not so satisfied with this chapter though. I feel like some parts turned out… weird.

Someone actually flamed _Sneaky Bastard _with the argument that it's disgusting to "make rape funny"… I lol'd. What Itachi does to Naruto isn't even classified as rape. The story is also clearly rated M and I even put a warning for the non-con (later con) content in the summary. My intention was never to _make rape funny_. Do I make rape seem funny? Do I? I don't think so. But seriously, I've been waiting for someone to give me good constructive criticism so I can improve my writing, cause it's far from flawless. Flames like that are just useless. And I don't mind if you point out mistakes. I can't stand the thought of any overseen mistakes in my stories.

Next chapter: Cage of Doubts

– Murasaki B


	27. Cage of Doubts

So… an early update for you guys. For my standards at least. Not much to say. Just wondering if anyone's been converted to K-Pop recently? Huh? Huh? HUH? Anyone? Seriously though. You basically have yaoi on and off stage and although it's fan service, it's just… asgdhgsjfsk. So if you like yaoi, just search Yunjae, Kangteuk, Eunhae or whatever pairing and you'll find tons of real life shounen ai! Isn't that reason enough to like K-Pop?

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXVII<span>  
><span>– Cage of Doubts –<span>

The man, fed up with his uncle, stalked off cursing under his breath. Even though people around him were laughing, chattering and enjoying the party, having to tolerate his sworn enemy by the command of his uncle, he was boiling in anger on the inside, glaring at the pesky intrusion that was Romeo Montague. He swore to himself that very soon, he would be the one showing that hated Montague just how powerful the Capulets were.

Only a teen of eighteen, Romeo approached the girl of his dreams, a girl too beautiful to be from this world. As she noticed him coming her way, she seemed pissed off. Bowing slightly, Romeo took her slender hand into his. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this. My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

The girl all but ripped her hand out of the teen's, looking at him with disgust, eyebrow twitching in suppressed rage. "G-Good pilgrim…" she bit out between clenched teeth, "you do… wrong your hand too much… which… which man… manners… man…" She looked at a scrap of paper in her hand, "mannerly devotion shows in this." Again, she cast a glance at the paper as if it was her savior. "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands… do touch," Another quick glance, "and palm to palm is holy… palmers' k-kiss."

Romeo closed the distance to the thirteen-year-old girl he knew went by the name of Juliet. "Have not saints lips and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they have t– must use in prayer," Juliet replied, backing away a little.

A smirk widened on the taller teen's face. "Oh, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do!" The boy made a wide gesture with one arm, gazing to the into the mass of people for a second. "They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

By now, the stranger's intent for approaching her was clear in her mind and it apparently seemed too repulsive to the girl to even picture it. "S-Saints do not move, though… grant for… for prayers' sake."

The boy moved even closer, his lips only an inch apart from those of the girl of his dreams. "Then move not," he whispered in a husky tone, "while my prayers' effect I take." He moved in to kiss those tender lips.

_SLAP!_

The blow was so strong, it threw the boy to the floor. The person he had been trying to kiss was looming over him with a murderous glare, breathing heavily.

"There's no way," the other forced out while taking deep inhales, "I'm gonna kiss. That. Bastard!"

"Uzumaki!" someone yelled. "You're ruining the play! Just let him kiss you!"

"No!"

Collective murmurs of confusion quickly filled the large hall, making the glare on the blond's face all the more fierce.

"Didn't it look like they were together earlier?"

"I thought so too."

"Sure, it looked kinda awkward, but they still looked like a couple."

"Why isn't he letting Sasuke-kun kiss him? Isn't he his boyfriend?"

"How dare he deny Sasuke-sama a kiss like that!"

The blond in question roughly pulled the long-haired blond wig off his head and threw it onto the floor of the stage he was on. "There's no way this is gonna work the way you want it to!" he yelled at his classmates in charge of the entire thing, which meant Ino and Shikamaru. "Just the thought of kissing a bastard like him makes me wanna throw up all–" He was shut up by his mouth quickly being covered. By another pair of lips.

_I've had it!_

Impulsively, Naruto pulled away and punched Sasuke's shoulder harshly, which caused the other to make a 180 turn. Naruto wrapped his arms around the other's waist from behind and in a swift movement, heaved the other up from the floor. He bent back, ending up with him throwing the taller teen back and over his body, then Sasuke's head and shoulders colliding with the unrelenting wood of the floor. With his back arched completely, he held Sasuke for a while until he couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed onto the floor and released his hold, only to jump up a second later and marvel at the ridiculous pose his rival was in before returning into a normal one.

The audience was in awe with everyone having similar blank looks of admiration. They quietly clapped with collective Oh's sounding.

"Oh, a perfectly executed German suplex," Chouji murmured, eliciting more Oh's, Hm's and Ah's from the audience. Beside him, Ino and Shikamaru nodded simultaneously. How Ino ended up being in charge was rather obvious, but the reason Shikamaru was suddenly her partner had been long forgotten.

"Wait!" Ino suddenly shrieked. "We're not supposed to applaud him! He's ruining the play!"

Slowly gaining an angry red hue to his face, Naruto walked to the stage's edge to face the blonde. "_You're _ruining the play by forcing the role on someone just because you feel like it! You're supposed to choose someone that can actually act, which I. Can_. Not_!"

The look on the blond girl's face could only be described as both accusing and exasperated. "Naruto, we all know what you're capable of."

"Whatever you're talking about, I'm not gonna play a girl." With those words, Naruto intended to make his leave. Instead of him dramatically leaving the stage, what the class got to see was the blond suddenly lying on the floor with Sasuke on top of him. One second he had been walking normally, past Sasuke, the next he was in the air all of a sudden, then on the floor. With Sasuke on him. He didn't quite register the two or three squeals and giggles, mainly because he was occupied with trying to get his rival off of him. This sudden need of Sasuke's to touch him all the time was confusing him and making him nervous. For the first time in a while, he really felt like the Uchiha was an unreadable enigma he wouldn't ever understand.

"Why are you refusing this so much?" the raven-haired teen questioned in a whisper, while pinning the blond's arms down and looming over him. "Wouldn't you usually just grumble about it for a bit, then agree and in the end, make fun of it while still doing your best? Isn't that the kind of person you are? Someone to never turn down a favor or challenge?"

Naruto, fully aware that many eyes were on him and his rival, turned his face to the side to hide his expression. His indecisiveness on what to say. "I'm not that kind of person anymore." He didn't receive a response. Then Sasuke was expecting him to say more? The blond chuckled, realizing that Sasuke apparently wasn't so much of an enigma. "How come you've become the stubborn one of us two, huh?" The other was still waiting, silently. Pressing together his lips, Naruto's face scrunched up a bit. Suddenly, he jerked around and managed to kick Sasuke in the chest, which resulted in them both sitting up and facing each other, Naruto's back to the audience.

"I still don't get why you–" As the raven-haired teen lifted his head after stroking over his soon bruising chest, his eyes widened a fraction as he saw Naruto's face. It was staring at him with anger, with disappointment, even grief. And though the blond's expression seemed as if firmly carved into his face, the only thing betraying it were his watery eyes.

_There's no way I could do this with him! And Romeo and Juliet of all things._

For only a few seconds, Sasuke allowed himself to stare. Clenching his fists, he cast a tiny glance towards the audience that was watching with interest. When he looked back at his rival, he nodded at the other and silently sat there as Naruto rose from the floor and walked off the stage without letting anyone else see his face.

* * *

><p>Hands stuffed into his pockets, Naruto walked down the empty corridors of Konoha High. Originally, he had been intending to leave entirely and go back home, to Iruka. But in the end, he felt too lazy to walk all the way at that moment. He was searching for a place where he could finally let loose those raging thoughts, questions, doubts and reveries. All he wanted was to finally let loose. Just once. Otherwise it all would soon build up into something he couldn't handle.<p>

And he would break.

He thought that the locker rooms were a good idea, since no one went there unless they had to actually use it to change. As he arrived there, the typical subdued stench of a guys locker room quickly embraced him. The darkness he knew was in the far back lured him just as light lured in insects. He let his fingers run over the metal doors of the lockers until he sat down in front of the last one, wrapping his arms around his knees and letting his head drop on top.

_Iruka will probably worry when he notices that I cried. _

Naruto hadn't even cried in front of Sasuke, but he knew that he _would_ be crying once he opened the cage that held in all his doubts and worries.

_Are things supposed to be like this? _

_Am I really me? Am I back to being the one I used to be?_

_Things are good the way they are now. I have friends, people accept me. I still get bullied sometimes, but even other people are starting to stand up for me. Ever since Asuma-sensei died. Then why am I…_

_Is it really impossible for me to be happy?_

_Mizuki is out there. Somewhere._

_Just what have I become?_

_What… am I here for?_

"Told you he went in here!" The voice was unfamiliar, yet it already sent chills down Naruto's spine. Usually, people would be astonished about finding someone the way Naruto was now. But apparently, this guy had gone after him. What were his intentions?

Immediately halting any train of thought, Naruto tensed and listened in on the conversation and the approaching steps. Three people.

"You checked the doors?"

"Locked them."

A curt bark of laughter. "Really convenient to be friends with the student council, huh?"

Finally, Naruto decided to look up. He knew there were tears in his eyes, but he didn't care. As long as they wouldn't fall, he would be fine.

"Ah!" one of the three boys, a brunet, suddenly yelled. "Nice to meet ya! We're from class 3-A, so I guess that makes us your upperclassmen." This guy seemed to be the leader with the way the other two stayed in the back grinning. "I heard some pretty interesting stuff about you, Uzumaki-_kun_."

The two in the back seemed taller than the brunet, one with jet-black hair and the other with hair dyed light-blue. They were watching silently, waiting.

"Is that so?" the blond replied blankly. _Guess I've gotten myself new bullies. _

Nodding, the brunet's grin widened a little and his eyes held mischief as he knelt down to be eye-level with the blond. "Really interesting stuff. Like, that your personality suddenly made a 180 a while ago, that you go around kissing people randomly, that you're very _loose_ when it comes to stuff like _that_. I was wondering, since I feel _really_ stressed out cause of these damn tests and all that shit, won't you help me and my buddies to loosen up a bit?"

_That's right…_

"Not like I have a choice, right?" Naruto seemed calm on the outside, although he was beginning to feel his mind preparing to shut down.

_This is what I'm supposed to be._

"Damn right," the brunet growled, suddenly standing up and opening his pants. As the other two approached to completely cut off any means of escape, the leader grabbed a rough hold of the blond's hair and jerked Naruto's head around a bit. "Now suck me off like the whore are."

_A whore._

Soon, Naruto had a stiff dick forced into his mouth and he slowly lost consciousness of what he was doing. Whatever he was doing was out of habit. Something familiar. Something he had been doing for years, which now had turned into completely automatic moves. The way he sucked, licked, nipped. It was automatic. His eyes remained half-lidded, unseeing, as he used his hands to accommodate for the places he couldn't reach. Yet.

"This really is… awesome," the brunet moaned, jerking around the blond's head again. He pressed a fist over his lips to suppress the sounds he was making a little. They weren't supposed to be caught after all. The leader nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt his entire member being engulfed in silky warmth. He gaped downwards, seeing the blond's lips at his base. "Ah… Fuck. What the…" The teen only held out for another minute, before he suddenly pulled out of the blond's mouth with a wide smirk. He let his seed splash all over the younger teen's face, chuckling as he saw the somewhat baffled expression. He sighed as he cleaned himself off with a paper towel and zipped up his pants. "He's got some skills, I tell ya," he declared, pushing the light-blue haired teen forward. "Go ahead. See this as a reward for those test answers you got us."

Smiling giddily, the taller teen stepped forward and hastily zipped open his pants. He as well roughly plunged his length into the blond's mouth, not caring so much about what Naruto was doing, seeing how he was thrusting in and out carelessly. The blue-haired teen forced his member down the blond's throat and dismissed the gurgles and choking noises. He only went faster the more exited he got and kept thrusting more violently by the minute. Unlike his leader, he didn't pull out as he came as he simply watched in amusement, expecting the blond to choke on his cum. What made his jaw drop was the gulping sound he heard. "H-He swallowed it!"

"Fucking Christ! He did!"

The laughter abruptly ceased as a loud bang cut through the air. Three pairs of eyes turned to the fist slammed into the dent that now as in one of the locker doors. It belonged to the teen that was oozing nothing but bloody murder. A few shrieks of _Uchiha_ and nervous laughs sounded, Naruto's mouth still occupied by a now limp and sticky cock.

What happened then seemed as if passing in an instant. One teen was kicked in the stomach, another thrown to the floor and stepped on, the last roughly pulled away from the blond and literally thrown across the room and into the lockers. Bones cracked and blood spilled. It was a mess and somehow, Naruto couldn't help but feel indifferent about it.

Not even having broken a sweat, Sasuke glared down at the barely conscious teens. "Tell anyone about this and you're dead." For a second, he just stood there, arms crossed and glaring. "Get out," he growled, resulting in his upperclassmen leaving in a hurry. Well, as quickly as they could in their state. Once he knew the thugs had vanished, Sasuke still didn't relax a bit. Yet he calmly walked over to the blond and sat down in front of him. "You look like shit."

Humming in response, the blond seemed rather unaffected. Only now he was beginning to actually come back_. _"How did you get in?" he inquired quietly, his voice cracking and sounding far from healthy. Having had a dick shoved down his throat just does that. "I thought they locked the doors."

"I have my ways."

What was completely out of place was the smile that suddenly broke out on Naruto's face. "Then you picked the lock like a burglar? You bad boy, you." The blond quietly laughed to himself as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"How can you laugh in a situation like this?"

Seeing the stern look on Sasuke's face only made the smile wider. "Am I being scolded?" He watched Sasuke glaring at him silently, not a muscle in his face moving. Naruto didn't know why, but just knowing Sasuke had basically come to his rescue was reason enough for his smile to widen even more. He probably looked goofy, but he didn't care. After all, he was happy like he hadn't been in a while.

When it seemed like Sasuke wouldn't talk at all, the other snapped his face the other way and quietly huffed. "You're supposed to be my boyfriend. Of course I'm scolding you when you're not breaking out into tears after having your mouth raped by two fuckers and are smiling instead."

It only now occurred to Naruto how it must have seemed to the other. Not too long ago, being forced to give someone a blow job was a relief, something that made him feel as if a weight was temporarily lifted from him. After all, it had meant he wouldn't have to endure anything worse. Therefor, all the reaction he could give now was to quickly forget about it and go on, just like he always had. There were no pains to constantly remind him of what had happened, so in his mind he could easily erase it as if it had never happened at all. "You're cursing a lot more recently," Naruto noted absent-mindedly. "It kinda makes you more human."

"Does it make me sexy?"

Naturally, the question sent an absolutely bewildered expression onto Naruto's face, although there was some amusement mixed into it. The blond shook his head as though he was the parent of a child with an unhealthily wacky humor, which in some way, Sasuke was to him all of a sudden. "Sure," he chuckled.

"So if I cuss, does that increase my chances of you being more willing to act as my boyfriend?" The smug look on Sasuke's face usually would have prompted Naruto to immediately deny whatever he was saying. _Usually_.

The smile on the blond's face dissipated a little, but it didn't vanish. "Why're you so hung up on that anyway?"

"You still don't remember?" the raven-haired teen sighed, sliding a hand over his face. "I _told_ you, Madara is a distant relative of mine and he is a sordid ass. I hate his guts. Therefor, I want to ruin whatever plans he has and those plans involve you. So logically, getting you away from him by binding you to me ruins his plans. He won't come after you anymore if you're with me because he knows that he can't go against me."

It did seem like a good way for Naruto to escape Madara's grasp. He merely nodded in response, silently, signaling that he had nothing to say against it. It was beneficial for him after all.

The question was, how far was he supposed to go?

* * *

><p>The next day, early morning engulfed Konoha as students were enjoying their very first break of the day.<p>

His usual smile adorning his face, Naruto joined his chatting friends on the benches. They seemed to be talking about a fat dog chasing a fat cat in Ino's garden. A dramatic chase that apparently had ended in a just as dramatic collision of flabby pet fat. Everyone lifted their head as the blond joined them, closely followed by one scowling Uchiha.

"Hey, it's Sid and Nancy," Ino piped as the two sat down in front of her. Seeing the silent questioning gazes being sent towards her, she merely grinned wider, mischievous even. She pointed at Naruto with a perfectly manicured finger and chuckled. "Nancy, the naive girl that has been raised in a prude home, far away from the danger called the male creature. And Sid," Her finger wandered from the blond towards Sasuke, "the rebellious young man that shows Nancy a colorful world of sins and pleasure."

Naruto looked about ready to have his eyeballs fall out, while Sasuke kept his usual glare.

"It fits." For some reason, Shikamaru lately had the tendency to agree with the weirdest of things. "In a very twisted and strange way."

The by now madly blushing blond was about to retort when he felt a glare on him. No. Not just any glare. _That_ glare_._ The one he had sometimes felt when he still had been with Mizuki. The one that probably belonged to the man promising to take him soon.

Naruto jumped out of his seat in a rush, panic written all over his face. Was it just him or was everyone suddenly looking as if ready to kidnap and murder him?

"Naru–"

Slowly coming back down to earth and wondering why Sakura had suddenly silenced, the teen turned to look at the pink-haired girl, but instead found a stranger right in front of him. For a moment all he saw were menacing eyes that were stripping him down with that exact look, but the next second he clearly saw a student from another class nervously staring at him. And once again, Naruto didn't get to say anything, for the teen shoved something into his hand before walking off again. Eyebrows scrunching up in confusion, Naruto unfolded the crumbled piece of paper in his hand to read the message written on it.

The others were giggling and joking about Naruto receiving a supposed love letter, Ino mumbling something along the lines of _It was only a matter of time._

"And?" Kiba shouted over the wild mumblings. "What's your admirer want from you?" Was that mere annoyance in his voice over Sasuke being so close to the blond again? Or even jealousy?

Naruto attempted a smile and ended up briefly pulling up a corner of his lips before there was just a hint of a smile on his face. "I need to go. Have some… business."

Apparently, when the blond got up to leave, both Sasuke and Kiba saw this as an invitation to come with him. The two immediately crossed gazes, staring at each other as if waiting for the other to back down, which of course didn't happen.

"_Alone_," Naruto threw in as an afterthought, seeing how neither of the two seemed like giving up. He stalked off before anyone could follow him, that piece of paper clutched tightly in his hand. He briefly recalled the message written on it and wondered what was awaiting him.

_Come to the stalls on the first floor. Alone._

From who the message was he didn't know. It wasn't from the messenger that had brought the paper, obviously. He would have talked to him directly. But apparently, it was someone he knew.

Naruto reached the guys bathroom a minute later and approached the stalls with a queazy feeling in his guts. He didn't have the feeling that something dangerous was going to happen, though he also didn't think it was something very good.

"Scared?" a voice resonated loudly throughout the room.

"Deidara-sempai?" Relieved, Naruto relaxed for a second. He immediately tensed up again though remembering the business Deidara was involved in. "What do you want?"

Was that a blush on the older blond's face? "As you perhaps know, I was pretty… impressed by your _service_, hm. I went to Akatsuki every now and then looking for you, but it looks like you haven't been showing up there for a while. No one will tell me why, hm." Deidara stepped closer to the shorter teen, went past him and proceeded to block the exit with his body. "So I was thinking, maybe we could manage this outside of Akatsuki."

"Look, I–"

"I'll pay whatever you want, you know, hm." Deidara seemed genuine in his request. In Naruto's eyes, it even looked as if the other was really hoping for him to agree.

_I still need money to pay back Iruka. I can't leave before I can actually give him back his money._ Grief shadowing his features, Naruto slowly nodded with his eyes downcast.

"So… you need money, right?"

Pressing together his lips into a thin line, the blond nodded and lowered his head to stare at the bleak tiled floor.

"Great, hm!" the older blond exclaimed. "Tell me whatever price and I'll pay it!"

"Sure." Eyes restlessly moving around, Naruto shifted around on his feet, knowing the other was scrutinizing him like a piece of meat. He felt guilty, somewhat, and he didn't know why. It wasn't like he was in a relationship. With Sasuke. That was just for show. But he was trying to get away from Akatsuki. Letting Deidara do something to him would only result in him getting back into that business, wouldn't it?

Seeing how the boy didn't seem like running away, Deidara pushed the shorter one into an empty stall and locked the door behind them. He sat down on the toilet seat with a grin on his face, looking as if expecting to be tended to like a king. Swallowing down his hesitations, Naruto knelt down in front of the his upperclassman and began sliding his hand towards the front of Deidara's pants.

The sound of a zipper opening was by now something ominous yet thrilling to him.

Once again, he had the older blond cackling, moaning and thrusting into his mouth, semen covering the inside of his mouth when he had done his job. He was disgusted by the taste, the texture, it being in his mouth. Most of it ended up sliding down his chin, trailing along the skin of his neck and into his shirt. Guilt kept nagging at his conscience and he wasn't able to do what he usually did. It worried him. Would he really earn money like this? When he glanced up too look at the other's face though, he saw a satisfied and manic expression on Deidara's that sent chills down his spine.

"Get up, hm," the older blond demanded once he had caught his breath. The moment the other teen was standing, he harshly turned Naruto around, tugged down the back of his pants and pulled him down into his lap. How he managed to aim so perfectly was a mystery to Naruto, who released a shrill gasp at the unexpected intrusion.

Grunting, mumbling, cussing and wild moaning originated from the locked stall in the boy's bathroom. Knocks could be heard from Deidara occasionally hitting the walls beside him, along with the tune that was skin slapping against skin. With the speed and roughness he was going at, it wasn't a wonder that Deidara finished quickly, leaving Naruto to suppress a roll of his eyes since he had yet again been senselessly fucked.

"How much?" the older teen murmured breathlessly after he had come down from his high. His hands were groping the other blond's sides, stroking over jeans-clad thighs, his tongue shamelessly trailing over the slightly damp skin on Naruto's shoulder. Hearing the other take in a breath when he brushed over a certain area, the blond pulled down the part of the shirt that was hiding the younger one's shoulder from him.

_He said I could ask for any price I want, right? _"T-Twice as much as what you paid me last time." His voice only shook a bit and he was quickly recovering from the initial shock of suddenly having a dick up his ass. Distractedly groaning in agreement, Deidara continued placing hickeys on the teen's shoulder and neck, but Naruto only slowly noticed this and pulled away when it was already much too late. "I gotta go." Not waiting for any response, the blond severed himself from Deidara and grimaced when he felt a warm liquid seeping out of him. Quickly grabbing pieces of toilet paper, he unlocked and exited the stall while cleaning himself off. Only now it occurred to him that someone could have come in at any time and heard them. His face flushed a bright red as he shot Deidara a meaningful look. He waited patiently as the other as well cleaned himself off, before finally pulling out his wallet to pay him.

Naruto quickly accepted the bills from Deidara's hand, afraid the other blond would suddenly change his mind and begin calling him crazy for demanding so much money. It wasn't like Naruto was extremely desirable after all, right?

Smiling from ear to ear, Deidara slowly rose from the toilet seat, stretched and released a satisfied sigh. "Feel so refreshed now, hm." When his eyes landed on Naruto again, the impossible happened and his smile widened even more. "I'll recommend you."

That sentence hit Naruto like a shock wave. His eyes widened and his posture stiffened. "Don't–"

"Don't worry, don't worry," the other blond waved off casually. "With the prize you're demanding, I won't just tell anyone about it, hm. I'll have whoever I recommend you to keep his trap shut in exchange for a small fee, kay?" He winked at the still not very convinced-looking teen and chuckled knowingly. "No one will know beside those involved. You'll get your money much faster that way, right?"

Unable to argue with that comment, Naruto merely nodded weakly and averted his eyes. Deidara had figured him out. He knew that he was in need of money.

"Great. I'll look forward to making business with you, hm."

Watching the other's back as he left, an unsettled feeling remained deep down in Naruto's guts. He didn't know wether he should feel relieved over the fact that he would be having enough money in no time or if he should kick himself for getting himself into the same shit he had just been about to get out of.

_How much of a slut can one teenage boy become?_

* * *

><p>"Kiba," a voice uttered lowly. "Calm. The fuck. Down." Ino's look was piercing and unrelenting as she glared at the borderline manic person in front of her. "Do you think he's gonna get kidnapped <em>in school<em>?"

Growling yet again, the brunet hardly _calmed the fuck down_. "No, but something else." His senses were tingling. Naruto was involved in something sexual, he just knew it. But people were already teasing him for basically always being with the blond, being called his _dog _even. As if Sasuke and Naruto were the married couple and he was merely the dog. But it only took a few more seconds for his patience to wear too thin to be called patience at all, diminishing into thin air in an instance. _Fuck what people say!_ Jumping up before anyone could stop him, Kiba ran off towards the school building in which Naruto had disappeared. His senses were tingling and guiding him towards…

The bathroom!

Actually, these senses of his consisted of the ability to effectively interrogate people. And his _nose_ of course. He could trust his _nose_ to find Naruto within a twenty meter radius, but first, he of course had to get into that radius. But due to his _senses_ this was an easy task and he quickly reached the boy's bathroom. Kiba kicked open the door for the mere purpose of seeming more forceful in his quest to find Naruto. It was very effective, apparently, judging from the shocked expression on his target's face. "Naruto!" he yelled, probably loud enough for the entire school to hear.

"What?" Naruto forced out in a flabbergasted manner.

"Um…" Relaxing his posture and stepping into the bathroom, Kiba had to ponder over that. He shrugged, unable to come up with a proper answer. "I was worried about you?"

Naruto then clearly expressed with his face the words _What the fuck, man? Did you think I'd drown in the toilet?_ to which Kiba responded by, with his body, expressing the words _Shall I show you how_ _easily someone can drown in a toilet?_ to which the blond released a chuckle, returning to his business at the sink.

Cocking his head as he noticed the other's wet shirt collar, Kiba stepped closer. "Are you washing… your face?"

"Pretty much."

"Um… why?" the brunet questioned along with a crooked smile and a laugh.

Naruto paused what he was doing for a moment, which was drying himself off with a paper towel, and briefly glanced at the other. "Was feelin' kinda hot." His eyebrows furrowed in confusion when the other came closer sniffing the air. Eyes turning bewildered, he backed away a little when Kiba was coming towards him.

Once Kiba stood face to face with the blond, he stopped and glared down at the other. "You smell like…" He sniffed the bright blond hair, which made the boy laugh quietly in amusement. The Inuzuka grabbed Naruto's upper arms and pressed closer, sniffing the air around the other. He suddenly halted any movement, sending a puzzled look onto the smiling Naruto's face. Teeth clenched, Kiba suddenly reached down to grab the blond in an unrelenting hold.

_What?_ Naruto struggled to get out of the trapping embrace he was in, panic beginning to cloud his mind. _Why is he doing this to me?_ His breathing became hitched with fear. "Kiba!" As abruptly as it had started, it ended, leaving Naruto to push away from the other once he could and back away against the wall behind him. Breathing heavily, it cost him all his strength to keep a fairly straight face. Only very slowly did he register the way Kiba was staring at his collarbone, an agonized look painted across his features.

Dropping his head in a dejected way, Kiba seemed to have gone completely mute. The voices outside the bathroom easily faded into a noise they didn't register. After a while, Kiba raised his head and gave Naruto a look the blond had never seen directed at himself from the other before: an accusing one. "What the fuck are you thinking?" the Inuzuka inquired lowly, suddenly grabbing the other's shirt collar and pulling down the fabric, revealing a bright red hickey as big as his palm. "What is this shit? Tell me! Cause I'd really like to fucking know!"

Not knowing how to answer to that, how to get out of this situation, Naruto turned his head away from the other, clenching his jaw, taking in shaky breaths, tears collecting in his eyes. For the first time, he was genuinely ashamed of himself for taking money in exchange for sex. "I-I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Kiba yelled enraged, walking up to the other and pushing against him. "Someone walks up to you during break, gives you a piece of paper and you have sex with someone in a _toilet stall_? Explain that to me!" With time it was becoming apparent that Kiba wasn't just angry, he was disappointed and desperate, anguish returning to his face. He backed away a tiny bit to look the blond over. What his eyes quickly found didn't amuse him at all. It was the bulge that the bills in Naruto's pocket was forming. Grabbing a few bills with nimble fingers, Kiba shook them in front of the other's face. "Explain!"

"K-Kiba," Naruto forced out through trembling lips, "please… please stop yelling. Please. I can't–" He was silenced by lips on his, a tongue forcing its way into his mouth and sending him into another panic fit. But instead of struggling, Naruto was rooted in place, motionless in fear of the angry and disappointed Kiba.

When he pulled away, one small droplet ran down Kiba's cheek. "Is this what you want, huh?" he forced out brokenly. "Senseless fucking? Do I have to pay you now?" When he saw _that_ look on Naruto's face and knew he was about to cry, he shot forward and pressed the other against him, probably too tightly. _You're not supposed to cry!_ "Fuck…"

"Kiba, why are you crying?" His voice was muffled, for he was talking into the other's shoulder. It was shocking to Naruto that not he was crying, but the one that had been yelling at him just a minute ago.

"It's just… Why do you get yourself into shit like this?"

Naruto didn't know if Kiba was aware that he was softly rocking them both around, maybe to calm himself as well. Turning his head so that his head was tucked underneath the other's chin, Naruto breathed in the brunet's scent, which seemed to make him relax immediately.

"Just what…"

The blond waited, unable to muse what it was that Kiba wanted to say.

"Just what did that one time mean to you?" To his displeasure, Naruto released a small laugh at his question, making him wonder if he was being laughed at.

"That's easy to answer," Naruto mumbled, looking up at the other. "From all the times I've slept with someone, the time I slept with you was the one I enjoyed the most. You… make me feel safe." He waited for some kind of response, but never got any. Maybe he had said something wrong? "Kiba?" The sigh that the brunet released resulted in a worried frown marring the blond's face, his expression shadowed with concern and anxiety.

"You make me so confused, man." Taking the other's silence as a request for him to elaborate further, Kiba chuckled lowly in a way that was so unlike his usual bright laugh. "Ever since that day… I keep questioning myself. Wether I'm… you know… gay or maybe bisexual. Cause honestly, and I've been paying attention to my own behavior a lot nowadays, I still can't imagine ever being with a guy like that." All the while, Naruto remained in the Inuzuka's arms, silent and listening. "I just can't picture myself looking at a guy's ass and thinking _I'd tap that_. I just can't. I want boobs and hips and _pussy_, goddammit! It's who I am! I'm the guy that hits on any hot girl he sees and I'm the guy that gets rejected a lot by those girls, but hey! I don't mind! I wouldn't want a girlfriend that gets picked up so easily. I mean… I can't be gay or bisexual. But… when I'm with you…"

Naruto's chest constricted a bit as he noticed that he had violently pushed out a breath in a silent gasp and never taken in a new gush of air. His heart began to race and he felt a pearl of sweat running down his temple.

"I think that maybe… I could. If it's you."

Thinking about it, Naruto realized that whatever they did with each other was what a couple would usually do. Cuddling, bickering, worrying, comforting. Kissing. All that was missing was _them_, as in admitting that there was something. If there was. And feeling the hand stroking the back of his head, Naruto also came to the realization that Kiba didn't expect any answer from him. For once, the blond understood another person enough to get the entire picture: Kiba merely wanted him to _know_. He wasn't even expecting anything in return, as if he had wanted to simply get it off his chest, giving Naruto time and opportunity to decide where to go from there. And the thing that assured Naruto that this guy probably was his best friend, was the knowledge that no matter what he would do, what he would say, what he would decide, Kiba would always stay by his side.

Naruto pushed Kiba away a little to be able to look up at him, hoping the other would understand without him saying anything.

_I really like you and I don't want to lose you._

It sent the blond's fists clenching and his breath constricting when the other merely leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his lips, a smile on his face as he cupped the blond's face with his hands. Just a tiny bit, Naruto leaned into the kiss and felt that calm encompassing him, the feeling Kiba always enticed whenever he was this close. It strongly contrasted both their characters. One would assume that two such short-fused and impulsive teens would easily clash, which was the case most of the time. But when it was needed, Kiba could be like a drug to Naruto. Calming, yet exhilarating.

When Naruto felt the other's lips leave, he barely restrained the whine that wanted to escape him. He closed his eyes as Kiba trailed his lips along the blond's cheek to his jaw down to his neck, to the spot where Deidara had severely marked him. The growl that came from deep within Kiba's chest made Naruto shiver, the teen pondering if the other was growing angry again after seeing the angry red patches of skin on his shoulder. Slowly reaching up and wrapping his arms around Kiba's torso, he curled his fingers into the back of the black coat he was wearing, Kiba beginning to nibble, even bite his skin with enough vigor Naruto was certain it would leave even bigger bruises than before. He sighed in what had to be content when Kiba as well embraced him, letting one arm rest around the blond's waist, while his other hand was pressed against the spot between his shoulder blades, a finger drawing circles into Naruto's back.

To Naruto it was as if all his worries and all the stress were being sucked out of him like a poison, Kiba his savior that took it all in while disregarding his own safety.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something," another voice sounded, quickly making the two part in shock.

Kiba slowly backed away, his eyes on the intruder, suddenly looking extremely uncertain of himself, albeit still protectively standing in front of Naruto. "What?" he barked, regaining his composure and managing a scowl.

But the other teen wasn't even looking at the Inuzuka for his eyes were locked on Naruto.

"S-Sa–"

"I'll go then." The raven-haired teen narrowed his eyes, before turning on the spot and making to leave with long strides. "Before I have to witness yet another case of facesucking."

"Wait!" Naruto tore apart from Kiba and hastily ran after Sasuke, but was stopped by a hand loosely wrapped around his wrist. He quickly turned back around and shot Kiba a look, a pleading one. Not knowing what exactly he wanted or what he was trying to do, the blond hoped Kiba did. Apparently that was the case, since the brunet begrudgingly let go of him and let Naruto run off, but not without sending a glare into the general direction Sasuke had disappeared into.

It wasn't hard catching up to the Uchiha, since he wasn't running like Naruto was. No, an Uchiha never _ran_ per se. All he was doing was stalking off in a faster pace than usual.

"Stop!" The blond only came to a stop when he was standing in front of the other, slightly out of breath since he had been forced to quickly descend a few sets of stairs. There was grief in his eyes, a deep-rooted feeling of unease suddenly boiling up when he saw the way Sasuke never looked at him directly and avoided his eyes. "That-That wasn't what it looked like!"

_This_ quickly made Sasuke turn his gaze towards the other. "So? What's it to me?"

Of course, there quickly was supposed to be a retort on the tip of his tongue, something consisting of calling Sasuke names and acting as if pointing out the obvious. Only, he didn't have such a retort. And thus Naruto stood staring with his mouth agape much like a fish, closing and shutting it as he fumbled for words. "Well… o-obviously something! Otherwise you wouldn't be," Naruto wildly gestured towards the other, motioning his hand up and down the other's form, "like this."

For a moment, in which the two heard the usual buzzing of countless people a school produced, nothing happened. Sasuke merely glared down at the blond, while Naruto was still reeling for some kind of valuable argument.

Snorting, turning his head to the side and letting a smirk remain on his face, Sasuke crossed his arms and seemed like the embodiment of smugness, ridiculing whatever Naruto had said with just the tiniest of gestures. "And what's the reason for you running after me? I thought you were hell-bent on keeping me away from you."

"Well…" Whatever snappy reply he had intended to give never left his mouth, for Naruto couldn't quite counter that. "I…" _I ran after him cause… I mean… he looked_… "I didn't want you to…"

"Yes?" The mere raise of one eyebrow was enough for Sasuke to clearly express that he was mocking the other, knowing quite well that he had the upper hand.

Huffing, Naruto sent the other the most venomous glare he could muster. "You looked like you were about to _cry_," he spat out with a glare. "Cry like a little _baby_! I felt bad cause unlike _you_, I actually care about people! Looks like my kindness isn't needed here. After all, you're an asshole and just can't see when people are trying to help you cause you're just sitting on your _pathetically_ high horse and looking down on others as if you're the _king_ of the universe! You… You…"

"Oh? Run out of the few words that are contained in your limited vocabulary, dumbass?"

Naruto was seething, livid, his eyes on fire. "You're a fucking… um… imbecile!" Feeling as if his anger hadn't been fully conveyed yet, the blond still felt dissatisfied. "You inept and feeble and… and inane jerk!"

"I see your vocabulary has expanded inappreciably the past years," Sasuke noted with not a bit of a change in his face.

"Being with the guy I was with for a few years just does that to you." Sometimes, Mizuki had had the tendency to insult Naruto in a way that the teen hadn't understood: with big words the blond didn't know.

Sasuke's outer appearance didn't change, but to outsiders it might have looked like he was pondering what exactly to say to that. It had become a potentially dangerous situation and he knew that. "Does your brain hurt now?

A look of hurt and rage crossed Naruto's features, before the teen lowered his head with shaking shoulders, looking as if unable to look at the other any longer. "You really are an ass." The blond stormed forward and made sure to roughly bump his shoulder into the Uchiha's. He knew he was heading into the wrong direction, since he somehow wanted back to Kiba, but he had wanted to definitely hurt Sasuke in some way, even if it meant that he would have to go in the wrong direction.

The blond aimlessly wandered around for a while to calm his nerves and quench his anger. The farther he went, the more silent it got. Naruto was just turning a corner, when he suddenly bumped into something and jumped back with a quickly uttered apology. He didn't get a chance to look up at the other's face, since the dark-clad person stepped forward in an instant, intimidating the blond into not glancing up, Naruto holding his hitched breath with widened eyes as he stared at the chest in front of his face.

The deep laugh suddenly resonating from within that chest shocked the blond into a frozen state, his feet coalescing with the floor he was standing on like roots into earth. Naruto could hear the shuffling of clothes when the much taller person in front of him leaned down to his ear.

"You haven't told anyone about me, have you?"

That voice. It sent terrified chills throughout Naruto's entire body, paralyzing his muscles and mind. The voice reminded him of the sound nails being dragged down a blackboard produced, his lungs beginning to feel as if they would collapse.

"It would be better for you if it stayed that way. We don't want any harm to be inflicted on anyone now, do we?"

A cold hand, covered in a black leather glove, idly wrapped around the blond's throat and lightly squeezed. The pressure wasn't enough to cut off Naruto's air supply, but that changed when after a while the grip grew in strength, the blond feeling himself being lifted up off the floor until he barely touched it. It made a small choked gasp escape the teen's mouth, his form beginning to tremble in trepidation, anxiety. Desperately grabbing at the arms holding him up, he was now eye to eye with his assailant, but a hood was blocking his view of the other's face. He tightly shut his eyes as he clenched his teeth, his throat beginning to burn, his chest constricting, trembling, mind desperately gasping for air. Was he really going to die like this? Without struggling?

The sheer inevitability of the situation sent tears to the blond's eyes, small droplets soon trailing down his chin. His lips parted in an attempt to take in air and at the same time let out a silenced scream. The teen's sight beginning to blacken, Naruto felt himself becoming light-headed, his strength slowly leaving him. It was becoming harder to see since his vision grew more and more engulfed in black.

Then suddenly, he was let go.

As suddenly as he had appeared, the stranger left Naruto's blurry sight and quietly stalked away. He left no trace, making Naruto wonder if he had been there in the first place. Maybe he had imagined it all? But the painful burn of desperately trying to take in air proved to Naruto that he actually had been being choked by someone just a minute again.

On his knees now, the blond barely regained his breath. His hand hesitantly reached up to his neck where he still felt the ghost of those fingers lingering as if still choking him. Naruto knew that he was starting to hyperventilate and thinking back to the one time it had happened before, remembered Sasuke's calming voice, his comforting words that had made him calm down. Within just a few moments, the blond had calmed his own breathing again and felt his composure coming back to him. Using the wall beside him as support, he got back onto his feet and swayed a little on his wobbly legs. When he felt like he wouldn't collapse any time soon anymore, Naruto slowly made his way towards his class. Break was probably long over, but with all that had happened, he hadn't noticed time fly by. Fortunately for him, Iruka had forced him to take a scarf with him. He now wrapped that same scarf around his neck, reveling in the scent it emitted. Iruka's scent that made him feel at home. Wanted.

He walked the deserted corridors, posture slouched and dragging his heavy body towards his classroom. The muffled words that came from within the rooms calmed him, the blond knowing that he was safe again, away from those places in school where no one would hear if he screamed.

The fact that he had been stalked for weeks, probably _months_ was now something he couldn't overlook anymore. He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself, had kept it in the very back of his head, suppressed, but now he had to face it: someone besides Mizuki was after him.

Standing in front of his classroom now, a hand on the door's handle, Naruto could hear Kakashi scolding someone in his joking manner, to which the class responded with bright laughter. It sent a bitter smile onto the blond's face.

_I can't tell anyone._

* * *

><p>It could take me a bit to finish the next chapter. I've been stuck on it for a while cause I can't decide which path to take with it. I have some options, some things I definitely want in the chapter, I just can't decide how to arrange it. So don't worry if it takes a while. I'll definitely go through with this story until the end.<p>

Next chapter: _Untitled_

– Murasaki B


	28. Waste Time With You

This has nothing to do with the story, but I'M DEAD! D: My math exam was today and I studied the entire weekend (which is the reason why I didn't get to upload this chapter on the weekend)! But I still sat there for ten minutes not knowing what to do! And I was late to the exam! _Really_ late D: Baby Kreesus, someone hold me!

Well back to the story! I'm sorry this took so long, but as I said I didn't exactly know which possible way to take with this story. It was a bit hard to choose, since I had several things in my head, but in the end I went with what I was planning all along. Silly me has to over-think everything… If only I spent as much time on practicing for my exams…

I think I should warn you guys about the beginning of this chapter though. If you don't like gory stuff, I suggest skipping parts of the beginning. Just saying…

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><p><span>Chapter XXVIII<span>  
><span>– Waste Time With You –<span>

The lush green grass Naruto was sitting on was damp with small droplets of morning dew. A hint of a breeze made his hair lightly fly around his head. Glancing about from the hill he was on, he saw a plain vast and wide enough, he thought it could go on forever. And although he was alone, he didn't feel like wanting to leave this place. It seemed so peaceful.

All of a sudden, there was noise behind him. Turning around, he immediately backed away seeing a gruesome face. He rolled down the hill a bit before he caught himself again to once again look at what had startled him. It finally registered in his mind that Sasuke was standing at the top of the hill and glaring down at him. Naruto's breath caught in his throat at the sight of blood-red eyes staring back at him, an awkward look painted onto the raven's face. It was a look that was utterly unsettling with the smile that seemed too inhuman to be real. Sasuke's features looked as if frozen, as if someone had molded that expression onto his face.

When the older teen quickly began to descend down the hill towards the blond, Naruto remained frozen in place, unable to move away from those terrifying eyes. They seemed so unusual, so disturbing, they simply didn't belong onto to Sasuke's face. They made him an entirely different person. A different _being_! Sasuke, or whatever that thing was, kept approaching, walking faster and faster down the hill. Naruto began to panic, slowly beginning to think that this really wasn't the grouchy Uchiha he knew.

The moment Sasuke was about to run him over, everything went black and all the blond could hear was laughter, mad cackles. Barks of laughter seemed to penetrate Naruto's head and ring out within his skull.

Suddenly, everything was a mess of red and purple. The sky was an explosion of crimson, the horizon tinted violet. Even the clouds known to be pearly white looked as if burning. The heat that suddenly engulfed the blond made him forget that he was scared, but hearing those manic cackles still echoing, he scampered to his feet in a haste and nervously shifted around with his gaze.

He was on a vast battlefield. Or rather, what was left of it.

Left and right, no matter where he looked, there were corpses piling up and littering the ground. Some merely lay as if sleeping, others had weapons piercing their limbs, most had been splashed with their own blood so much that the original color of their attire wasn't distinguishable anymore. The corpse that lay closest to Naruto's feet was missing a leg. An arm. And a head. Hesitantly letting his cerulean eyes roam over the dusty and blood-soaked ground, the blond found sullied chunks of flesh in a pool of blood nearby. Before he pulled away his eyes, his gaze landed on a lone eyeball with a blue iris staring back at him.

His gaze quickly shot up to look at what had to be the center. After all, the amount of corpses was the most dense there. What he found was a single figure atop the tallest pile of bodies, the source of the cackles. And although the figure was so far away, Naruto still heard the laughter as if it was ringing out from within his head.

Without the blond seeing any movement, Sasuke was suddenly standing in front of him with not a single speck of red on his clothes. Deep down, Naruto was hoping that this was proof of the raven's innocence, but those eyes told him otherwise.

"You hate me, don't you?"

The question startled Naruto out of his stupor and sent a quizzical look onto his face.

"You want to kill me, don't you?"

The blond began to shake his head in denial, trying to get away, but finding himself unable to move. As if he was being paralyzed by those crimson orbs.

"You loathe people, remember?"

As Naruto attempted to protest, he found that no sound passed his lips no matter how fervently he tried. The raven in front of him tilting his head, grinning, staring without ever blinking, he robbed the teen of any confidence he had left.

"Deep down, you desire to kill, see blood, hear screams, tear someone limb for limb, don't you?"

Naruto screamed out a heated _No_, but nothing except for Sasuke's words rang out in his mind.

Movement around him forced Naruto to tear his eyes from the other and look around. Bodies suddenly rose all around him and approached. _Fast. _Before he could react, a headless corpse was climbing up Sasuke's body, others doing the same.

The crunch of the raven's bones breaking, the squishing sounds of his intestines being wrenched out, the ripping noise that the tearing of his skin caused, the splashing that his blood spilling around produced. They created the music to the image of Sasuke being torn apart, his mad cackles the lead to this accompaniment.

When Naruto screamed this time, he could clearly hear it. Everything around him was dark again and the only sound he could hear was that of his frantic breathing.

Steps suddenly echoed from someplace the blond couldn't make out. They were approaching, growing louder and louder, until they ended in a bang and light hitting Naruto's face.

"Naruto!" someone called, making the teen jump in surprise.

The blond quickly tried to cover his eyes to protect them from the light, yet peeked through his fingers to see a figure approaching. Whimpering in fear, he backed away a little in an attempt to keep some distance. A futile cause, of course.

More light soon attacked the poor teen's eyes and with both arms now he tried to shield them.

"Naruto!" that same voice shouted again, now sounding worried. "What happened? I heard you scream."

This caused Naruto to slowly drop his arms to look at the person in front of him. "Iruka?" he mumbled out hoarsely.

"Gosh," the brunet sighed, before smothering the teen in a hug. "You scared the living hell out of me, Naruto. I thought you were being attacked or something."

Naruto relaxed and slumped in an instant, releasing a shaky breath. "I had a nightmare. A horrible one." The teen buried his face even more in the warmth of Iruka's chest, much like a small child would.

"What was it about?"

The blond didn't know if he should tell the brunet. What if it would make him seem crazy? What if it would worry Iruka even more?

"I won't judge you and I won't think any less of you, I promise." Iruka's voice was so soothing and the man knew it. He smiled to himself when he saw the content look on the blond's face as he raised his head a little.

"I… It started out pretty relaxed actually. I think I was sitting somewhere, but then… I saw Sasuke, but somehow I think it wasn't him. He looked… like he wasn't human or like he was possessed. I really didn't know what to think. Then it was dark, someone was laughing, there was… blood. A lot. I think… Sasuke died. I don't remember so much, only that I was terrified." The older man fondly stroked his hair and ran his fingers through the blond strands, making Naruto sleepy again, his mind hazy. "I… was really scared. I thought I'd lost Sasuke. I thought… he went to some place where I couldn't reach him. He was lost. I couldn't… do anything." Naruto fell back asleep right then and there, too exhausted from all the excitement to stay awake in the middle of the night.

Iruka stayed a while longer and watched as his favorite little blond slept peacefully in his arms. When he himself was beginning to feel too tired to stay awake, the man decided to just turn off the light in the corridor and then lay down beside Naruto. He was sure the teen wouldn't mind, seeing how he was soon holding on to the brunet again. A smile on his face, Iruka laid them both down and covered both of them with Naruto's blanket. He as well quickly drifted away knowing that Naruto was secured in his arms.

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><p>"Naruto! How often do I have to tell you! Shut your mouth when you're eating!"<p>

Grinning, Naruto made an effort to clamp a hand over his mouth, knowing that his food would spill out otherwise. "Sowy," he mumbled out from beneath his palm. Once he had gulped down the cereals in his mouth, he wiped his hand on his pants and made to continue his ravaging.

"Goddammit, Naruto! Don't wipe your–" The man was interrupted by the doorbell ringing, which saved Naruto. He sent a small warning glare towards the teen, before heading to the door.

Once the brunet was out of sight, the blond scarfed down his food as if there was no tomorrow. As if he was afraid someone would take it away from him if he didn't hurry. He heard murmurs from the entrance, but paid it no mind and brushed it off as some acquaintance of Iruka's or someone trying to sell something.

_At seven in the morning. Yeah, right._

His curiosity piqued, the blond tried to listen in on the conversation and craned his neck to maybe see something from the kitchen. The voice seemed familiar, which only urged him on even more.

"Naruto-kun!" a very familiar female voice shouted, a face soon appearing in front of the blond. "I came to pick you up."

"Sakura-chan?" the blond mumbled dumbly. "Why're you coming to pick me up?" He was a bit shocked at his own voice, since it still sounded very raspy from him having been strangled. But he had a hoarse voice anyway, so he hoped no one would notice. Iruka hadn't, which was a good sign.

The girl cocked her head with her hands on her hips and a mock expression of anger. "We used to do this all the time, remember? We would meet and go to school together. We can do that now again!"

Grinning giddily, Naruto shoved in the last bit of his breakfast, before jumping out of his seat to get ready to leave. "Gimme a second!" he called, before running around in a hurry to gather his things.

A few minutes later, the two were on their way, carelessly chattering away and witnessing Konoha slowly waking up. On their way, on the route they had always used, they saw the same dog that had always barked at them when they had passed by when they were younger, waking up the entire neighborhood. But when they passed him today, he merely eyed them with distrusting eyes and let them pass silently. Although his eyes held disdain, he couldn't stop his tail from wagging.

Chuckling, Naruto and Sakura both waved at the dog that darkly growled back at them.

"He seems conflicted," Sakura noticed.

"Like he doesn't know wether he should be happy or mad at us."

Their conversation stayed light-hearted like that until the pink-haired girl came to the topic of school and thus, the previous day.

"You looked weird when you came in after break." Her eyebrows were a tiny bit creased, her look showing concern.

Cerulean eyes widened a fraction when the blond thought back to that time, or rather, what had happened before his entering the classroom. "I… had a fight with Kiba. I made up with him though. But then I also had a fight with Sasuke." He knew that Sakura would only pry further if he told her that nothing had happened back then. Giving her an honest answer while leaving out what he wanted no one to know would hopefully satisfy her.

Sakura seemed so doubtful, but saw no reason to question the blond further. "You looked kinda… unhealthy."

"Yeah. Guess I was a little put off by what Sasuke said. He kinda went over the line."

Seeing how his mood was darkening, the pink-haired girl quickly changed her own attitude and began to smile again. "And what's up with that scarf of yours?" she inquired jokingly. "I've never seen you wear any before. I mean, you're mister _I'm too hot to wear a coat even when it's freezing._"

That morning, Naruto had made sure to wear something that would cover up the bruises on his neck and shoulder. The bite Kiba had given him wasn't so deep overall, just the spots were the brunet's fangs had pierced his skin were still hurting. They had bled profusely, which also had been hidden by the scarf. Upon coming home, Naruto almost had had a heart attack when he had taken off the scarf and found it to be blood-soaked.

"Iruka bugged me about it for _so _long," he replied after a short moment of silence. "I thought if I didn't come home with a scarf that looked as if it's been around my neck a while, he'd kill me." It was surprising to him how quickly he could come up with lies nowadays.

"Okay then," Sakura laughed. "Guess I don't have to worry then. You really scared me though. You were so quiet." She briefly looked at her friend with concern, but soon faced forward again. "Don't do stuff like that, please. At least tell me when something's wrong so that I don't have to worry over nothing."

A few years earlier, Naruto would never have been able to fool his best friend. Whatever it was he was hiding, Sakura had always found out. But now, it just took a bit of effort for him to fool the girl. It somehow made him sick to the stomach.

The two of them arrived at the school gates just then and as always, they were greeted by an overzealous Lee who promptly invited them to race in circles until school started. They kindly declined, of course, and made their way towards the entrance. Some people were loitering around and Naruto decided to actually look at the people in his school for once. Besides his friends', he barely knew anyone else's face. The first people he saw were sitting around at stairs or leaning against windows in the corridor lit by the rising sun. He shrugged since neither their appearance or behavior was so unusual or unique that he would actually remember them.

_No wonder I don't know any of them._

Only now he realized that with his blond hair and blue eyes he stuck out a lot between all these brunets and black-haired students. Barely anyone had blond hair and only few bleached theirs. He began to muse about Kumogakure, where he was sure people bleached their hair, but soon he stopped to turn around and see that Sakura had stopped walking and seemed very insecure, looking as if seeking assurance from him. "Sakura?"

Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows creased indiscernibly, making her look worried. "Can… Can everything go back to normal now?" she inquired hesitantly, in a quiet voice. It was so unlike her usual loud and unrestricted behavior. "Please."

"But… I mean…" Shaking his head, a puzzled look crossed Naruto's face. "Why… wouldn't it? I mean, everything is normal, isn't it?"

"It's not," the pink-haired girl dead-panned. "I don't think you noticed, but we barely do anything just by ourselves. Or anything at all! You always hang around Kiba and Sasuke, but you barely ever talk to me. I don't even get the chance to talk to you cause you're so involved with other people. I keep feeling as if I don't matter to you anymore. As if it doesn't matter to you if our friendship exists or not."

Naruto immediately turned crest-fallen when he began to piece things together and found that what Sakura was saying was a fact with no room for discussion. And if he was honest, he had to admit that he had downright neglected her and never even paid attention to how she was doing. He hadn't _wasted_ a single thought on her. Regret now pricked him like thousand tiny needles, making him press a hand over his mouth. For a moment he looked at the teary-eyed, yet smiling friend he had ignored for so long, but soon became unable to even look at her.

"It's okay," the girl whispered as she approached the blond and wrapped her arms around his middle, laying her head on his shoulder as he whispered apologies over and over again. "As long as things go back to normal, I won't be mad. But I probably should hit you for being such an ignorant dumbass. If you were my boyfriend, I would've dumped you ages ago."

"You probably would have dumped me after just a few days," the blond laughed in response, parting from his best friend. "I'm really sorry though. I never really– Sakura?" Confused, Naruto eyed Sakura who was staring at him weirdly. "What's wrong? Is there something on my…" He looked down at himself, only to find his scarf loose. Loose enough for Sakura to see the angry red choke marks and the large love bites on his neck.

Gasping, the blond backed away and covered his neck back up, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"Naruto?"

_Please don't ask_. Pain clearly written on his face, Naruto pleaded in his mind that maybe, just maybe, Sakura had overseen everything. _Please_.

"What happened?" Her eyes were fixed on the blond's neck as if she was still seeing those marks, even though they had been long covered up. With her prying green eyes she made Naruto feel as if the marks were flaring up with pain again.

Naruto backed away further and further and seemed about ready to escape, shaking his head. But before he could flee to safety, he felt Sakura's strong grip around his wrist.

"Naruto," she bit out in a warning tone, her lips tightly pressed together, "don't lie. Not again."

And the blond knew that at this point he had to tell her. He could't just run away from her seconds after swearing that he wouldn't ever betray or ignore her worries again. If he did, their friendship would never be the same way it had been before. This was his chance to fix things, to make things right. The certainty of having to reveal such a secret hit Naruto hard, made him crumble against the wall beside him.

When Naruto began to quietly sniffle, Sakura's worries only deepened. Her first guess had been that bullies were bothering her friend, but it looked like it was something even worse than that. Never before had she seen Naruto break down because of bullying and he wouldn't ever do so in the future, she was certain of it. Glancing around she found the corridor they were in fairly empty with only two people at the other end with their backs to them. Trying to keep her composure, Sakura knelt down in front of the sitting teen and ran her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. She shifted so that she was sitting beside Naruto and embraced him, the other leaning into her as he continued to quietly sob.

"Sakura…" When he raised his head, a few tears slipped from his eyes that he wiped away with his sleeve, "someone's… been following me. For months now. Actually, I don't even know when it really started." Sakura, his best friend, was the first he was telling this and it felt like a massive weight had been lifted off his chest. "And… I met him. Once in the hospital a while ago and… yesterday. He just… He told me he would come for me and that I… shouldn't… Oh god." Dropping his face into his hands, Naruto groaned. "I really wasn't supposed to tell you. Sakura!" His head shot up and although his eyes were puffy and red, his look was fierce and serious. "Don't tell anyone. Don't even _seem_ like you know anything."

"But–"

"Please! Promise me! I couldn't live with myself if… if…"

"I get it!" Sakura cut in. "I get it."

Gratitude and relief made Naruto smile for a moment before he finally parted from the floor to stand up and also help Sakura up. He was still shaky on his legs, but seeing how people were beginning to flood the corridor, he tried to regain his composure as quickly as possible.

"You fine now?" Sakura inquired, seeing how the other was suddenly so quiet. "I promise I'll be careful." She waited until the blond nodded, then guided him towards their classroom. "Just promise me that you'll call the police."

"Sakura, I–"

"Calm down," the girl hushed sharply. "Don't tell them about the stalker, just ask them what happened to your bodyguards."

Slow as he was, Naruto took his time understanding what Sakura meant. "Oh, right… I have bodyguards." His voice dripped with sarcasm, cold cynicism even.

Sighing, Sakura bit back a comment in response and tried to stay on topic. "Just ask them what happened to those, okay?"

The blond nodded wordlessly and together with Sakura entered their classroom. He held his head low, unable to keep it up, as if there now was a weight making it too heavy to raise. The weight of being unable to tell anyone about the stalker was now replaced by the weight of possibly endangering the people around him. Just barely he found his seat, noticing that Sasuke wasn't there yet. Something that struck him as unusual, since the Uchiha was usually one of the first to arrive.

And even when the lesson started and everyone else was there, the raven-haired teen was nowhere to be seen. So when Kakashi walked in, Naruto knew that Sasuke wasn't coming. Being later than Kakashi was a thing of impossibility.

Kakashi merely asked the class how far they had gotten with their play, finding out that not even the cast for the main roles was certain. Having expected a situation like that, the man sighed and announced that he was dropping the idea of an only-male cast. The girls cheered in glee, immediately beginning to fight over the role as Juliet at the side of Sasuke as Romeo.

"I'm changing the cast for Romeo too though," Kakashi mumbled. He waited until the class quieted down and the news had spread to even the rows in the far back. "Naruto is going to be Romeo."

Staring at the door and waiting for Sasuke to come, Naruto hadn't even listened to Kakashi one bit. Soon though, he noticed stares on him and finally processed what Kakashi had just said. "What?"

"You're not Juliet anymore," Kakashi sighed, seeming even more tired than usual. "Would _that _be fine for you?"

"Um…" Remembering the day before when he had briefly flipped through the book, the blond paled. "Don't I have a lot of text?"

The white-haired man shrugged, not seeming to care even if a monkey were to take the roll. "We can have someone below the stage whisper the text to you in case you forget anything. But we definitely can't have Sasuke as Romeo, for obvious reasons." He finished the last sentence with a glance at the disheveled girls that were still trying to make themselves look presentable after nearly killing each other. "Sasuke will be Romeo's rival Tybalt instead. For the role of Juliet I chose Sakura."

"Isn't that playing favorites," one student interjected, implying that Kakashi chose those three because he already knew them outside of school before.

Again, the man shrugged with an uncaring expression across his face. "Those are the only three I know and trust with something this important. The rest of you…" He suddenly stopped abruptly and headed towards the blackboard. "Well then I hope you all will work hard on this play." Suddenly, he produced a book out of thin air and began his actual literature lesson.

Throughout the entire lesson, Naruto couldn't concentrate on the chapter they were supposed to analyze. In hopes of seeing Sasuke come in with his grumpy look and cool attitude, he kept glancing at the door. He was growing nervous and each time he sighed, he hit himself mentally for acting like a wife desperately waiting for her husband. He nearly jumped out of his skin when everyone stood up to leave. And Sasuke still hadn't shown up.

In the years he had known Sasuke, the other teen had never in his life missed out even one minute of school. Never. The one and only exception had been the morning after the Uchiha massacre, where he had been taken to a police station. But even then, he had attended the lessons right after that.

Begrudgingly packing his things, Naruto too left and searched around the corridors. Maybe something had happened?

When Kiba and the others went outside to the benches, he declined to keep looking for his rival. Usually, he would have hit himself for worrying that much over an ass like Sasuke. But this time, his concern was overshadowing anything he would have usually thought. He didn't even know why he was _this_ worried. Even Sasuke could get sick, right? And it wasn't even his business what the other was doing. But images from his nightmare kept coming back to him. That possessed look on Sasuke's face, his rival among piles and piles of corpses, the Uchiha being devoured by gruesome creatures. Shivers ran down his limbs again, goosebumps raising up on his skin. Nervously he rubbed his arms, trying to rid himself of the shivers and goosebumps.

Suddenly remembering what had happened the last time he had aimlessly wandered through school, he stopped in his tracks, noticing how only few people were around now. Had he gone on, he would have found himself who knows where again. Deciding that Sasuke couldn't be in school, Naruto turned on the spot to go outside to his friends. He wanted to calm his mind, seeing how, if Sasuke hadn't been in class, he wouldn't be in school either. But him being dorky and slow as he was, he had gotten overwhelmed by his own concern.

Just now calming down, Naruto didn't notice the person coming out of the secretary's office at first. Then he caught a glimpse of raven hair out of the corner of his eyes and snapped his head around.

"Sasuke."

Even though it had been nothing but a whisper, the teen still seemed to have heard it over the noise in the corridors and turned his head as well. As if having teleported there, Naruto was suddenly right in front of him. Others would have been surprised, but Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to leave?" the blond suddenly asked him.

The aloof expression on Sasuke's face faltered a little, making way for a hint of shock. Naruto hadn't even seen the document in his hand, yet he rushed to let it disappear in his bag.

"What's that?" Seeing the other trying to inconspicuously put away a piece of paper, Naruto's interest had been piqued. "What were you doing in the secretary's office?" Just looking at the other, he knew that Sasuke was trying to hide something. "Are you really trying to leave? Again?"

"You're being paranoid," Sasuke waved off, avoiding the other's eyes. Being hell-bent on not looking at Naruto, there was no way for the Uchiha to predict what happened next. Arms suddenly wrapped around his neck and a body pressed into his. He just barely suppressed a surprised squeak and fiercely glared at the mess of blond hair next to his head, the other's face pressed into his shoulder. "Get o–"

Naruto wrapped his arms more tightly around Sasuke, cutting him off. "Promise me not to leave." Feeling Sasuke take in a sharp breath to probably make a snide remark, the blond once again cut him off. "Just do it. This is embarrassing enough already."

"I…" For the first time in a while, Sasuke was taking something Naruto said serious. He was really considering this, silently contemplating by himself. "I can't." He tried to push the blond away, but despite gaining some distance, Naruto kept holding on to him.

Sighing loudly, Naruto tried to somehow connect with Sasuke, but he kept avoiding his eyes. He had thought about that nightmare all day long, but only now he was starting to see some kind of connection to the Sasuke before him right now. "You… You once said something about wanting revenge. Did you leave because of that?" Seeing the way Sasuke's eyes suddenly snapped into his direction, Naruto felt confirmed in his assumption. "I mean… I still don't know why you left in the first place and Suigetsu isn't any help too. Now that I think about it–"

"Stop thinking about it," Sasuke suddenly snarled, seeming nervous all of a sudden.

"I can't." Naruto repeated the Uchiha's words from before with a defiant raise of his eyebrows.

Clenching his jaw, anger welling up in his eyes, Sasuke sharply breathed out. "Fine." Wrapping a hand around one of the arms around his neck, the teen slowly regained his composure. "There are some things we need to talk about anyway, so…" He nodded his head to the side, "come to my place after school."

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction. This was the only outcome he _hadn't_ expected. "S-Sure." Scared of the other suddenly changing his mind, he didn't even smile or make some kind of remark.

What both of them never noticed was the person that had been about to turn the corner in search of a certain blond, but had stopped short upon finding that same blond in what looked like a sort of intimate embrace with someone else.

Kiba remained hidden, watching Naruto and Sasuke talking in hushed voices, then parting after a while. He didn't miss the bright smile on Naruto's face either when he left into another other direction. The entire day he had been inconspicuously trying to cheer the blond up, but in the end, had to see Sasuke send a bright smile onto the blond's face with no effort at all. At this moment, the Inuzuka realized that he probably would never be able to do the same.

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><p>The next chapter will have something of a breakthrough for Naruto and Sasuke, but I guess that's to be expected. It's about time.<p>

Shisus, I hope I'm not giving anyone nightmares with that dream sequence part. I'm extremely unaffected by my own writing, so much that I can't really judge what kind of impact such a gory part has on readers. I get reviews on stories with people saying they literally balled their eyes out when I don't even consider the story sad or tragic myself. Makes me wonder what would happen if I actually wrote a story with the intent to make you cry. That's something for me to brood on for now *evil laugh*.

Just a quick note on my chapter titles, in case you didn't notice: The chapter titles _never_ refer to only one part or only person in the chapter. It usually applies to several parts of it, but I'll just leave it to you to speculate what parts exactly.

Next chapter: Back For Revenge

– Murasaki B


	29. Back For Revenge

Took me a while to get this done. Mainly because I finally got around to revising the first three chapters. I've now completely taken them out and replaced them with a chapter of my own, which is why the chapter numbers are different now. The content is similar, but I guess you can still read it if you like. It's _very_ different.

This chapter is… the beginning of a lot of fuckery on my side. Prepare for fuckery following this chapter. You guys know how much I love messing with you.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXIX<span>  
><span>– Back For Revenge –<span>

For some reason, Naruto's heart began to pound rapidly upon standing in front of Sasuke's apartment. It wasn't his first time here of course. But it felt like his first time since he hadn't been exactly fully receptive during his last visit. The way to the apartment had been silent, as was the actual entrance now. Sasuke had said they should talk, but Naruto couldn't imagine that ever happening with how things were right now. When they passed the threshold of Sasuke's not so small apartment, he very vaguely recognized the staircase at the side and some pieces of furniture, but his memory failed him after that.

"Do…" Sasuke sighed in a frustrated manner, again avoiding Naruto's look. "Do you want to… drink something?" He clearly felt uncomfortable asking this, but good manners had been pounded into him at a young age. Usually he would cast those aside, but seeing how he had actually invited someone, his parents would turn in their graves if he acted like a bastard even now.

Naruto fumbled for words, but ended up stammering out a _S-Sure_.

Sasuke couldn't get over himself to ask what he wanted, so he came back with a glass of water and placed it on a small couch table, then sat down and waited until Naruto sat down in the armchair opposite to him.

He didn't show signs of starting to talk anytime soon and Naruto didn't even know what he was supposed to do here besides talk. His eyes shifted around and took in the sight of Sasuke's scarcely furnished apartment. It was more bleak and boring than he had expected it to be. He had expected something looking as if straight from a catalogue, with simple designs and painted in dark colors. Instead, he was surrounded by gray walls, a few couches and chairs and a small kitchen with only the most necessary things. It wasn't much bigger than Iruka's apartment, perhaps even smaller.

Naruto glanced down at the carpeted floor, the large wood-framed windows reaching from the floor up to the ceiling. Maybe thirty years ago this would have been considered a nice place, but now it was just bland.

"How did you know?"

Coming back to the present, Naruto needed a second to process Sasuke's question. Seeing the other coldly staring at him and waiting for an answer, he cringed inwardly. "I just… had a feeling."

That answer didn't seem satisfying to Sasuke, but it was the only one that made sense. He didn't think Naruto would have been able to pick up on any clues to come to that kind of conclusion.

"So you really were going to leave," the blond sighed, glancing at the raven-haired teen's bag. "Were you–"

"I was getting documents to arrange my leave from school."

Naruto's eyes searched the other's face, but only found indifference. His guts churned thinking that somehow, his nightmare was slowly turning out as true. Would Sasuke be devoured soon, corpses littering the ground around him? Naruto turned sickly pale as he glanced at Sasuke again. "Is… something wrong?" he timidly forced out. "Did something happen?"

Dark eyes now focused on the blond's face with suspicion. Then again, this was the dunce Naruto, so there was no reason for suspicion. "How would you know?"

"Just a… feeling." Naruto smiled a little seeing the small annoyed shake of the teen's head. He scratched his ear awkwardly and despite Sasuke's glare as he left the couch to lean against a wall, he kept smiling like an idiot. "Wanna… you know… talk about it?"

Sighing exasperatedly, Sasuke rubbed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose in an agitated manner. "There's no way around it, is there? I can already imagine you nagging me until I tell you anyway." He opened one eye just a slit to see Naruto nodding with vigor, immediately regretting his words. "I've told you about it before. The reason why I left."

Trying to remember what he meant, Naruto's mind drifted off for a second, but drew up a blank. "I don't remember."

Sasuke's eyes never met the blond's, as if he was still hoping the other would suddenly disappear. "My revenge. It didn't turn out they way I wanted it to." The other teen didn't reply to this, forcing the Uchiha to elaborate further. "I initially left to execute revenge on my brother for killing off my entire family. I searched for him and when we met after nearly five years for the first time, we… clashed." He paused at this, raising out of his slumped posture to sit upright. "My revenge failed and I was about to try again, when I met… someone that told me entire truth of what happened back then. When my family was annihilated. Of course I didn't believe him at first, but then I found evidence that confirmed it all. I…"

For the first time, Naruto saw the proof that even the infallible Uchiha Sasuke had moments where he nervously fiddled around with his fingers. What had been said hadn't been properly registered by his brain, but it was already making his heart sink. There was some twist to the thing that had absolutely traumatized Sasuke and it was already scaring him.

"Even then I still wanted revenge. But not on Itachi. I wanted to exact revenge on all of Konoha for what they did to him. So I came back." Sasuke raised his head again as he set his eyes on Naruto's shocked face, waiting for the response he knew was coming. He could already see the gears turning in the other's head, everything falling in place. The blond backing away just a tiny bit didn't go unseen by him. "I came back to take revenge on this rotten place."

* * *

><p>Iruka's day had been quite calm, as usual. He had settled into the new school well, his students already liked him and he got along well with his colleagues. And even Naruto seemed completely back to normal. Aside from the occasional nightmare or small episode, the teen seemed happy. And seeing Uzumaki Naruto leave his house with a smile every morning nearly sent tears of joy to his eyes each time.<p>

Rummaging through his cupboards, the man tried to find himself a snack before starting to work on some assignments the principal had given him. A pack of crackers found their way into his hands, but before he could rip open the wrapping, he heard someone ring at the door. Setting the crackers down onto the counter, he rushed to the front door. When he swung it open, his eyes clearly showed confusion upon being unable to identify the person at first glance. He nearly choked on his spit though when he did find the name to the person's face.

"J-Jiraiya-sama?"

The white-haired man laughed heartily, pushing into the door despite never having been invited. "Been a while, Iruka-kun!" he shouted, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Yes," the other man replied weakly, wondering what this was all about. "Excuse me for asking, but why are you here?"

Jiraiya's expression turned a tiny bit more solemn as he averted his eyes. "You have any sake here?"

Standing with his arms crossed, Iruka sighed quietly and wordlessly went to a cupboard and pulled out a small bottle of sake and a cup. He placed both in front of the man with a polite smile, but remained silent.

"How are things with Naruto going?" the older man inquired, pouring himself a cup and downing it in one go.

Iruka awkwardly scratched his head when the man released a satisfied _Ah._ "Fine."

Staring down into his empty cup, Jiraiya nodded. "That's good." He felt the other man's piercing eyes on him as he downed another cup. "You're probably wondering why I'm here." Iruka gave him no response, so he simply poured himself yet another cup. "Naruto's bodyguards were killed."

"Hayate and Kumade?"

Jiraiya finally looked at Iruka, a pensive look across his features. He stared at the younger man's shocked face for a while, before looking into his empty cup again. "They stopped contacting their colleagues last week and they've been searched after since. Their bodies were found yesterday in a pit in the woods outside of Konoha." He heard Iruka huff quietly and could see the man lower his head out of the corner of his eyes. "I've already arranged for another bodyguard to come. He should be arriving tomorrow."

Still struggling to comprehend the situation, the brunet rubbed his eyes and nodded. "Wait," he suddenly murmured shakily. "Does that mean Naruto's been without bodyguards for an entire week?"

Downing another cup with his cheeks beginning to redden, Jiraiya's face turned bitter. "Kakashi is still there. Don't forget that. His actions are extremely limited though, since he still needs to keep his cover, otherwise the stalker would know about him too."

A heavy sigh pushed out of Iruka's chest as he lowered his head into his hands. "I think the stalker approached him yesterday. He came back looking like he saw a ghost and barely talked to me. He also had a nightmare again last night."

Jiraiya was about to pour himself another cup, but found the sake bottle to be empty and shrugged as he put it aside. "I'm at fault here for not noticing it sooner. I should have been a lot more suspicious when Hayate and Kumade stopped responding." He knew Iruka was about to vehemently disagree when he abruptly raised his head. "You're already doing what you can and you're doing it well. Just be there for Naruto. I'll take care of the rest."

The brunet just nodded, silently promising to watch over his favorite blond as best as he could.

* * *

><p>Any alarm bells in his head that may have been inactive his entire life were now going off all at the same time, deafening out everything with their loud ringing. His head began to throb from the noise and time seemed to stop as he incredulously stared at Sasuke. His rival who had just admitted that the reason they had become rivals again, the reason he had come back again was for revenge. On Konoha.<p>

"You're that surprised?" the brunet mockingly asked, grinning slyly. "You weren't even suspicious?"

Naruto felt like crying as the feeling of betrayal stabbed him like a razor-sharp dagger, the only thing stopping him from collapsing the wall against his back. He didn't dare to move when Sasuke suddenly left the couch to approach him, slowly closing in on him until they were nearly nose to nose, his onyx eyes staring into the blond's cerulean ones. Goosebumps rose all over his skin as the other tilted his head a little and brought their faces even closer to each other.

"None of you noticed, huh?"

A chuckle so unlike Sasuke emerged from his throat, sending waves of fear through his body as he remembered the Sasuke in his nightmare, the one that had had that sick grin on his face. Although he was barely stopping himself from shaking like a leaf, Naruto didn't budge and remained staring into those dark apathetic eyes. "Why are you like this?" he whispered, his tightly clenched fists shaking.

"What's it to you?"

Even though they were standing close enough they were breathing the same air, Naruto suddenly felt like Sasuke was miles away from him. Much too far away for him to reach. "Was this all just… a game to you? Didn't any of what we all went through together mean anything to you? Just what exactly am I to you?"

"You're really obnoxious, you know that, right?"

Naruto suddenly felt fingers trailing up his side, then wander over his chest. They unsettled him with their touch that seemed so feeble, yet felt like they were scorching his skin. Until they wrapped around his scarf-cladded neck.

"I could easily kill you right here."

The grip around his neck suddenly tightened, but not enough to completely cut off his air supply. Choking noises and gasps emerged from Naruto's throat. Suddenly remembering the day before, a thought suddenly hit the blond. _What if… _Suddenly panicking, Naruto desperately tried to free himself and ended up scratching the other teen's arms and face. All of a sudden, he was let go and stumbled around, bumping into a shelf.

Sasuke now awkwardly stood in the room, staring at the floor and rubbing the back of his neck.

Meanwhile, Naruto only slowly realized that he wasn't in any kind of danger now and with shaky legs remained leaning against the wall. His eyes stayed fixed on the other all the time, never letting Sasuke out of sight. While keeping an eye on the other, the blond realized that the other teen wasn't staring at the floor, but at something in his hand. _Not again!_

Dark eyes soon shifted to the blond's neck, eyebrows creasing and features turning sour. "I didn't do that just now, did I." It wasn't a question, but something Sasuke knew was a fact.

Still suspicious, Naruto tried to read this enigma that was Uchiha Sasuke, but once again came up with nothing but confusion. Not trusting his voice yet, he shook his head and with his senses becoming clearer now, he finally realized that his throat wasn't hurting like it had the last time. Sasuke hadn't put that much force into his grip after all.

The scarf silently slipped out of the Uchiha's grasp as he lowered his hand. His eyes shifted around the room, always avoiding Naruto's frightened form as he rubbed the back of his neck. His fingers then slowly shifted to his face where he found the scratch marks. He flinched a little when he touched them, a frown forming on his face when he glanced at his fingers and found them a little bloody. "I…"

If he could have, Naruto would have jumped back a few feet in hopes of gaining some more distance.

"…apologize for just now." Sasuke's cold eyes focused on the blond's and he stepped just a tiny bit closer. "That wasn't supposed to happen. For a second I forgot it was you and not…" A small smirk widened the teen's lips all of a sudden as he noticed the confused look on the other's face. "You just asked me what you are to me."

Naruto finally decided that Sasuke wasn't going to kill him and was able to stand up straight without fear of being strangled any moment.

"These past months… and years," The smirk disappeared from the Uchiha's face, once again making it blank, "they weren't meaningless to me at all."

Even though there was no imminent danger now, Naruto still had the feeling that there was something unexpected coming. That Sasuke was scheming something.

"To me, you have become my best friend."

The words instantly swept away any suspicion Naruto had and made him feel as if the floor beneath his feet was being torn away. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped a little, thoughts seemed to run through his mind in slow-motion. A grin so bright it looked as if splitting his face formed and he took a step towards Sasuke. "Seriously?"

A curt chuckle fell from Sasuke's mouth as he turned his head away. "I refuse to repeat myself, dumbass."

The grin on Naruto's face softened into a beaming smile directed at his rival. With that grin, eyes bright, mood lifted sky-high, he silently stared at the other.

"Stop looking at me like that, you dunce-bat," Sasuke mumbled indignantly, rushing off into the kitchen.

Naruto's face became one of surprise when he caught a slight blush along the other's cheeks. The blush that he was trying to hide by escaping into the kitchen. He chuckled to himself, suddenly feeling light as a feather now that the heavy weight of thinking Sasuke had betrayed and deceived them all was gone. Sitting down on the couch, a wide smile still stretching his lips, he fell back into it and sighed. As he rubbed his eyes, something suddenly hit his forehead. Hard.

"The fuck…" the blond mumbled as he picked up whatever had slapped him. It was a triangular rice ball in a plastic wrapping from a convenience store. "Aw, now you're even feeding me! I'm so touched–"

"Don't give me some ridiculous nickname, you damn buffoon," Sasuke hissed dangerously. "Just _eat_."

Still quietly laughing by himself, Naruto silently ate his rice ball, but never failed to mockingly beam at Sasuke, who was trying to ignore him.

They stayed like that for a while, Naruto picking on Sasuke and the other calling him names, throwing things at him, kicking him, hitting him. Naruto just pestered him even more, saying the reason no one liked him was because the way he showed his love to others was weird. It just angered Sasuke even more.

At some point, Sasuke ended up throwing Naruto out of his house with a kick to the blond's butt and saying his farewell with another insult. The blond again just giggled a little and walked out towards the street. Soon, he realized that he barely remembered how he had gotten here. Turning around towards Sasuke's apartment, he contemplated asking Sasuke to accompany him home, but could already imagine the fuming teen closing the door into his face. Sighing, he opted to just keep going into the same direction until he found something familiar. In Konoha, this was usually the best way to find home. It always worked.

Walking past a group of people from his school, Naruto began to contemplate everything that had happened lately. He remembered that there were other things besides the issue with Sasuke planning some kind of revenge still weighing him down and stopping him from being genuinely happy. The fact that Sasuke was intending to leave still remained, although he had weaseled his way out of explaining why. There was his still damaged relationship to Sakura, the issue with Kiba, whom he now didn't know how to deal with anymore. They had become a little awkward after that episode in the bathroom. Then there was Madara and his business that unfortunately involved him. Eventually he would have to leave Iruka's place too. He just couldn't occupy the man's bed room any longer and force him to sleep on the couch. Contacting Jiraiya soon was becoming inevitable. Most of all, the apparent absence of his bodyguards was upsetting him enough to let his mood instantly deflate. If something had happened to them because of him he wouldn't be able to live with himself. And he didn't even know their names.

Then it suddenly struck him that he was alone. His bodyguards unable to protect him for some reason. And with a stalker probably watching his every move. It just now occurred to him that this person may be really watching him at _all_ times. Even right _now_.

He nearly stopped in his tracks abruptly, but didn't want to seem suspicious in case he was being watched. But he couldn't stop himself from quickening his pace, digging his hands into his pockets. With an uneasy feeling clawing at his guts more and more, Naruto slowly sensed eyes on him. Just a few months ago he had prided himself on being able to easily sense when people were looking at him weirdly, but now he realized his grave mistake. Now, after regaining his memories, he had not only gained back his trust in people, but also lost any type of paranoia he might have had. He had lost his edge, his ability to sense if someone was watching him.

All this time, there might have been eyes on him, constantly.

Hanging onto only a shred of common sense now, Naruto struggled to keep his composure. He slowed his pace, not wanting to widen the distance to his closest safe point, Sasuke's apartment. Turning around and going back was the safest option and at the same time the most dangerous one. If he showed signs of knowing that he was being following, perhaps he would find brutally strong fingers clawing around his neck again.

Carefully coming to a stop, Naruto plucked out his phone. He was about to dial Sasuke's number, but decided otherwise.

_"You again?" _

The voice calmed him a tiny bit and made him feel safe, even though he was in just as much danger as before. "Yup," the blond replied with a sheepish chuckle.

_"Did something happen again or are you just bored?"_

"Both… I guess." Eyes beginning to restlessly scan his surroundings, Naruto continued walking in a slow pace. _Shit, I sound too intimidated! I need to get it together. _"There's this bastard I know," he continued, voice a bit firmer and louder now. "I was just at his home and some crazy shit happened." Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see a faint silhouette hiding in the shadows of the alley he was walking by. He pretended to glance around, taking in the sight of his surroundings. "I think I'm lost now though." He turned on the spot, heading back into the direction where Sasuke's apartment was. "I don't recognize a single thing." When his eyes briefly swept over the alley he had seen the silhouette in, he now found it completely empty. Had he just imagined it?

_"You sound weird."_

"Don't make fun of me!" the blond growled irritatedly. "It's not like I get lost everyday."

_"Something's up, right?"_

"Right, I could just ask someone for the way." It was silent on the other line for a moment, making Naruto a bit edgy, that feeling of safety slipping away with the silence.

_"Where are you?"_

Naruto gulped, trying to come up with some way to not give himself away to his follower. He didn't want anyone but himself to be involved in this. It was enough that his bodyguards probably had been hurt in some way. "I don't need a damn map! I can find my way back home on my own!"

_"Don't be stupid, you dunce! This is not something you deal with on your own! Tell me where you are. I'll call the police."_

"Don't make such a fuss over it! It's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere. I'll find home eventually."

_"You really–" _A heavy sigh sounded, extremely distorted through the phone. _"Duncebat."_

"I know, I know," Naruto chuckled, seeing the street Sasuke's apartment was located in the distance, a smile forming on his face. "You know, I'm thinking about moving out next week from where I'm living right now. I can't keep staying where I am now. It's just hard on my caretaker." Receiving no response, his remaining confidence wavering once again, Naruto fervently tried not to run towards the Uchiha's house. His legs were beginning to shake with anxiety, the corners of his lips trembling. With each step his feet felt heavier and heavier, as if they had turned into rocks that refused to be lifted. "I met this guy…" the blond forced out, a cold shudder running from the roots of his hair down to his toes when he heard the obvious shudder in his voice, "in an onsen." Gulping, he briefly clenched his teeth, then bit his tongue to calm himself down. "He seemed nice. I think I'm gonna move in with him."

_"You're not overreacting?"_ the other suddenly questioned in a slightly apprehended tone. _"There's really someone following you right now?"_

"Sure, he's definitely trustworthy," the teen laughed, glancing towards the corner he had to turn next. Relief slowly overpowered his nervousness, since Sasuke's apartment was right beyond that corner. He could hear some noise on the other line, but paid it no mind, quickening his pace a little.

"Tell me where you are!"

Naruto was about to respond, but stopped on the spot all of a sudden. That sentence had not only come from his phone, but also from close by. _What is this?_

"Hello?"

Again, that voice. It came from behind the corner Naruto was about to turn.

"Answer me."

It sounded awfully familiar, now that he actually heard it.

"Hey!"

He still didn't move, the trembling hand that had been holding his phone to his ear slowly dropping.

"Answer me!"

Naruto was frantically trying to come to some kind of conclusion, some explanation, but his ability to think properly was suddenly gone, made void.

"Naruto!"

And then he was standing right in front of him. Looking slightly disheveled, seeming a bit out of breath. His eyes _mad_.

The only thing Naruto could manage now was not letting his phone fall from his shaking fingers as he watched the other marching his way, before suddenly looking up at him, realization quickly dawning on him. The other too lowered his phone from his ear, those usually stoic eyes widening a fraction.

_All this time…_

Taking a slow step forward, the other tried to approach Naruto.

_He knew?_

But with each step the other came towards him, the blond backed away more and more.

_He knows _everything_._

_Every single secret._

_Everything I couldn't even tell my closest friends. _

_Everything that I wanted to take to my grave._

_Everything that's crushing me._

Unable to stand the endless thoughts wildly running through his mind, these feelings of betrayal, confusion and _hate_ occupying every inch of his body, Naruto ran. The direction didn't matter as long as it led him away from the other. He couldn't stand the presence of him anymore, the person that knew absolutely everything that was paining him, the one person he didn't want to ever seem weak in front of. The one that had become his goal. His idol.

His best friend.

_Why him of all people?_

The harder he ran, the more blank his mind became. Pushing himself past his limits, he ran harder and faster, just to push those thoughts and feelings out of his mind more and more. The people he ran past were faceless to him. The sceneries he passed by just a blur. Even when he ran into someone and was thrown to the ground, he wouldn't register anything at all and just carried on.

There was no time. No feelings. No thoughts. Just the pain in his chest, his legs. The pain that was spreading all over his body.

This state of nothingness…

It didn't seem so bad.

Too bad his body didn't think so.

His trip to blissful nothingness came to a screeching halt when his legs gave away beneath him. He was violently forced back to reality, collapsing onto the harsh pavement beneath him. Only his reflexes prevented him from smashing his face into the ground. For the first time, the extreme ache properly reached his brain, letting his features contort in pain. Curling in on himself, he pressed the side of his face into the pavement, gritting his teeth and barely suppressing the whimpers that wanted to escape him. The ache in his lungs felt as if daggers were repeatedly stabbed into his chest, his heart hammering against his ribs painfully hard. Everything turned and twisted in front of his eyes, colors washing into each other. Even though he was laying still on the ground, to him his body seemed to roll all over it and for a brief moment he was frightened by the thought of rolling onto the street and being run over by a car.

Once his head stopped feeling like his brain was doing not so elegant flips inside his skull and his chest wasn't feeling like bombs kept going off inside anymore, the blond slowly came back to his senses.

This time he had really overdone it.

For a second, Naruto doubted if he would ever be able to ever get up from the groundagain, let alone _stand_. Taking in enough air was exhausting, his throat still feeling as if he had swallowed barbed wire. He would have laughed at himself, laying on the asphalt in pain, had he not started to suspect his throat of bleeding by now.

Suddenly, he fell. At least he thought so.

There was something around his arm and he was thrown around, before feeling something concrete slam against his back. Was this how death felt like?

His so far blurred vision began to slowly clear up. A warmth began to envelope him, contrasting the harsh cold against his back. He could make out a face, framed by white. It wasn't an angel, was it?

A cold chuckle.

Hands tightening around his arms.

Manic eyes glaring at him.

Lips crashing against his.

Teeth biting into his lips.

A tongue forcing itself into his mouth.

Instead of feeling a rush of adrenaline and the urge to escape, Naruto felt only emptiness. He couldn't get himself to care for the hands roaming all over him. He was too exhausted. Still, he couldn't stop the fearful shivers or the tears beginning to collect in his eyes.

"Been a while, huh, Naruto?"

This voice. This foreboding, humored laugh. It made his guts churn and his blood turn cold, incinerating that flame of constant dread that had slowly died down and now came back with a vengeance.

A guttural moan against his throat, a mouth sucking at his skin. His hoodie was roughly pulled down to reveal the flesh between his shoulder and neck, a pained gasp leaving his lips when teeth clamped down on his skin. He squirmed, finally raising his hands to push at the man's chest, but quickly realizing how meek his efforts were.

These past months, he had thought that he was becoming stronger. That slowly he was gaining more and more confidence. That he would be able to face any danger. That he would be able to _protect_ himself. Clenching his jaw, he realized that he was still the same. This kind of thing would always happen, with him helpless against his perpetrator. It wasn't even physical strength he was lacking. In a fair fight, he probably could take Mizuki out easily. What he lacked was the confidence that he was able to win against his tormentor of many years. Adding his current state to that put him at the man's utter mercy.

"Stop struggling, Naruto-kun," the man whispered in a disgustingly sultry voice. "Do I have to seriously hurt you?"

Naruto couldn't suppress a small whimper when Mizuki swiftly gave him a punch into the guts. He nearly stopped breathing when the man didn't remove his fist and instead spread his fingers over his stomach to trail them over it in an almost soothing way. The moment of gentleness was short-lived though, Mizuki's hand quickly wandering south.

There was no teasing, no preparation. Just the white-haired man treating the blond like a cheap whore as he fisted the teen's crotch.

The different scenarios of what would follow played out in Naruto's mind. All of them resulted in him laying broken on the ground, semen seeping out of him. Knowing this, a spark of defiance flashed in Naruto's eyes. As he eyed Mizuki, he noticed how the man completely focused on getting him out of his clothes, clawing at his hoodie now. His legs were not aching anymore, but he knew it wouldn't stay that way. He would have to deal with a major ache the next day. His throat was still burning up, but his chest seemed back to normal. Hope began to bloom in his mind when he weighed his options and came to the conclusion that maybe he was able to get out of this after all.

By now, Mizuki was sporting a rock-hard erection that was poking into his stomach. Cold air hit his arms, his hoodie discarded into a dirty puddle. Even colder fingers began to trail underneath his shirt and over his skin. They were in an alley, the street just a few steps away. Outrunning Mizuki was not an option. He somehow had to get a head start, gain some distance and then lose the man.

He waited. Waited until Mizuki was completely absorbed. The man was still a tiny bit alert, but with each passing second he lost himself more in his lust. Yet they both knew how terrified Naruto was.

Just when Mizuki slid his hand down the front of the blond's pants, Naruto slammed up his elbow into the other's chin, the man's hair flying around his face as his head snapped back.

Naruto quickly dashed to the side, away from Mizuki. He ran towards the street, away from the darkness of the alley. At least he tried to.

A harsh tug at his hair sent him flying backwards, low cackles reaching his ears. Naruto tried to get up again, but instead he got the air knocked out of his lungs when a body dropped onto him, Mizuki straddling him now.

"A while away from me and you think you can be feisty." Mizuki's amused laughter echoed from the alley's walls, the man not the slightest bit affected by the punch to his jaw. Although there was a bruise forming on his face now.

Frustrated by the way the man brushed off his effort like he was a powerless child, Naruto began to violently struggle against Mizuki's hold on both his hands. Just the fact that his tormentor was restricting both his arms with just one hand sent an angry blush to his cheeks, his legs uselessly flailing around. He nearly cried, realizing that even if he tried to escape, it was useless. His plan had been so simple. So promising. And yet it had been easily shot down.

"It's time to just give up and come back to me now, isn't it?"

Naruto stopped struggling and could clearly see the victory in the man's eyes. Oh, how much he wanted to rip out those gleaming eyes. "And go back to a pathetic pig like you? Over my dead body!"

This seemed to surprise Mizuki a little for a moment, but it didn't stop him from going on with what he had been planning to do all along.

Naruto didn't want to admit that he was fighting a losing battle. That this was going nowhere but in the direction Mizuki wanted it to. No matter what he did, he couldn't get out of this. This was over.

He had lost.

Fingers looped into the rim of Naruto's pants, about to pull them down, when suddenly Mizuki stopped what he was doing, turning his head towards the street.

Curious about what had interrupted the man's onslaught, Naruto as well glanced towards the street, spotting a figure walking towards them. No, _marching_ towards them. He could briefly hear Mizuki's sickening chuckles, before the man was suddenly thrown off of him. Eyes wide, he glared at the person that had suddenly appeared. In the darkness, he was unable to make out the person's face, but knew who it was nonetheless, judging by the string of enraged curses leaving the other's mouth.

Mizuki, again, was unaffected by the kick to his side and merely got up from the ground to walk towards the newcomer. He easily dodged the next punch thrown at him and sent his fist flying into the other's jaw, grinning when he heard a small crack and saw the other fly into a brick wall. When he heard a groan of pain, his high-pitched laugh could be heard in the dark alley.

It instantly died down though when a kick sent _him_ flying into the brick wall beside him.

Before Naruto could even realize what had happened, the newcomer grabbed his arm and hauled him up, dragging him away from the scene. They began to run, Naruto nearly tripping over his own feet with the speed the other was running at. The angry growl that sounded behind him inflicted a deeply rooted fear in him. Usually, that kind of growl would have made him stop immediately for fear of being hurt even more than usual. It would have made him instantly turn back and just accept whatever Mizuki did to him, hoping the man wouldn't be too angry at him. But despite the hand around his wrist being quite cold, it gave him a tiny shred of courage, dragged him away further and further, forcing his feet to move faster and faster. It forced him to go on. To not turn back. To not give in to his fear.

What scared him the most right now wasn't the seething beast following them. What scared him the most right now was the fact that for the first time in his life, he was defying Mizuki like this. He didn't even want to think of the consequences should they not be able to escape.

* * *

><p>Anyone able to figure out who the <em>Mystery Caller<em> (like you guys dubbed him) is? I've made it pretty obvious.

I only have a week of holidays left *cries*. I want to stay at home and write forever. School just keeps reminding me that I'll graduate next year and it scares me. I don't wanna… I want those days back in tenth grade when everything was easy and I could spend hours writing without having to think of the future so much. I don't like change. Graduating is too much change for me at once. If I manage a good Abitur that is.

Next chapter: Eyes on Fire

– Murasaki B


	30. Eyes on Fire

OH MY GOSH! PLEASE SOMEONE FUCKING HOLD ME NOW! RED is releasing a new album! Please excuse me as I fangirl all over the room and release the panic *fangirls all over the room*. (Did you see what I did thar, huh?) It's Super Junior's comeback all over again, just without the teasers, the seemingly endless wait for music videos and the trolling from the label. Instead I already have three shiny new songs to listen to and three beautiful videos to gush over *melts*. _Release The Panic_ is just epic. End of I listen to _Perfect Life _I just _drown_ in the song and write (happens all the time when I listen to RED, totally normal, no need to worry). The video for _Hold Me Now_ is so simple and beautiful I can't even…

I have nothing else to say. My head is full of these songs. This story wouldn't be written like this without RED, you guys. I don't how I would write _anything_ without RED. Songs like _Break Me Down_ and _Lost _have gotten me out of so many writer's blocks and inspired so many genius things. I just can't listen to K-Pop while writing at all. It's too distracting cause I keep flipping out whenever I hear my bias' voice or start singing along. Just thinking of Super Junior or EXO, _especially_ Kris' bitch face, deems me unable to write even one sen– *melts into a pool of squealing goo and seeps into the floor to fangirl into eternity*

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXX<span>  
><span>– Eyes on Fire –<span>

Being the daughter of a ramen shop owner had taught Ayame from an early age to not take any customer lightly. She had had her fare share of difficult customers, but she paid even the easy customers just as much attention. No matter if someone was a vegan, lactose-intolerant, gluten-intolerant, egg-allergic and nut-allergic how-in-the-world-am-I-supposed-to-make-you-food kind of person, she paid them just as much attention as someone ordering a plain black coffee. That was how her father had raised her and that was how she handled everything in her café.

But no one, not even her father, had prepared her for what would happen.

It had been a normal day. With the early morning being quite busy and the pace only picking up again around noon. The regulars had already been there to say hi and casually eat and drink and now, in the afternoon, it was quite empty.

Until the sound of the bell above the front door ringing alarmed Ayame. From the kitchen she could hear some commotion and she curiously walked towards the counter. She nearly dropped the glass she was drying with a towel when she spotted the two people stumbling towards the counter.

They both froze seeing her and she could clearly see the pleading look in their eyes. She didn't hesitate even a second and gave them a curt nod. Walking around the counter, she guided them towards a table in the very back shielded from sight by a separation wall. One look at Naruto's state was enough for her to know what was going on. She stalked towards the back of the store, fully intending to call the police and report that Mizuki had attacked her favorite blond.

* * *

><p>The two teens remained silent in the cozy four seat booth, just now catching their breath. Neither dared to look at the other, both not wanting to see the state the other was in. Eventually, they had calmed down enough to not suspect their pursuer to suddenly show up behind them.<p>

In the back of his mind, the things Naruto had learned just a while ago still made him unable to calm down. He was extremely angry at Sasuke, even wanted to punch in his skull and only stop when the brunet forgot everything about his past, but he couldn't quite scold the person that had saved him and now sported a bruised jaw and bloody lip because of him. "Thanks." Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Sasuke turning his head towards him. "You know… for…" Thinking back to earlier, Naruto choked on his own words, "coming when you did." The blond couldn't shake off the pictures haunting him now, couldn't just turn off his brain and stop it from sending him back to that place, to that man. When something dropped onto his hands, Naruto noticed that he was crying. He sucked in a deep breath as he quickly wiped the tears from his face, willing his eyes to slowly go dry again. His heart beat increased as he hoped the other teen hadn't noticed.

Their awkward silence was interrupted by Ayame walking up to their table and putting down a small first aid kit, a bowl with warm water and a few small towels. After giving them a reassuring smile, she left glancing out of the window with suspicious eyes, like a hawk waiting up for pray.

With the bandages and bandaids in front of him, Naruto remembered the way Sasuke had fought back there and received quite a few punches. Wondering what injuries the other may have, he carefully turned his head towards the other and immediately caught the cuts and bruises on the teen's right hand and arm. Instinctively, the blond grabbed the bloody hand with caution, pulling it into his lap. Bruised knuckles, fingers littered with cuts, the back of the hand already swelling up a little. Naruto bit his lip, feeling at a complete loss for words. He hadn't even noticed Sasuke throwing a punch. What was he supposed to say now?

Naruto slowly began to absent-mindedly stroke over Sasuke's hand, but stopped short when the other jerked a little in pain as he brushed over an especially deep cut. Naruto found some satisfaction in that. Briefly looking at Sasuke, he could see the pain the other was trying to mask within his eyes. Trying to seem reassuring like Ayame, he tried to smile a little – even though there was probably nothing but disappointment and anger shining from his eyes – and quickly turned his attention back to the hand in his lap. Knowing what to do now, he slowly dropped Sasuke's hand onto his leg to grab a towel and dip it into the warm water. After wringing the excess water out, he began to gently clean the blood off of Sasuke's hand, arm and face. Once that was done, he finally unpacked some bandages and began wrapping them around Sasuke's slightly swollen hand and his bruised arm.

While doing so, he couldn't help but notice how long and slim the other's fingers were. How neatly every nail was manicured. The pale skin of Sasuke's hands, even littered with injuries, looked flawless. Unconsciously sneaking in a few unnecessary touches, Naruto marveled at how smooth and silky that pale skin felt. Once he was done bandaging all wounds, there was no reason for him to touch the other anymore, but he still held on to Sasuke's hand, entwining their fingers. He didn't know why, but he felt driven by his need to have more contact and began to smooth down the other's tousled raven hair, brushing it down with his fingers. He nearly expected the other to throw an insult at him and demand for him to immediately stop what he was doing, ending with them fighting it out with their fists, but Sasuke didn't say anything. Naruto's expression turned puzzled though when his fingers suddenly felt wet. Pulling his hand back from the other's head, he found it bloody. Now alarmed, he lifted Sasuke's bangs to see a deep cut above the older teen's ear, dried and caky blood sealing it and sticking to the jet-black hair. A worried look on his face, Naruto bit his lip, knowing the wound would definitely scar. He knew a deep wound when he saw it. But judging from Sasuke's behavior, he didn't seem to have a bad concussion. Still, the fact that Sasuke would be carrying around a scar because of him completely devastated Naruto.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, not noticing how tightly he was gripping Sasuke's injured hand. "I'm sorry that you got involved and that…" He trailed off, unable to put his thoughts into words. He was barely hanging on to his composure as it was. "I'm still scared." His hand trembling now in the other teen's, he bit his tongue hard to suppress the tears welling up. He jumped a little when a hand suddenly touched his neck, the part of his body he now regarded as most vulnerable, the part he didn't want anyone to ever touch again. Raising his head, sight blurred by upcoming tears, he noticed Sasuke intently staring at him as he let the tips of his fingers brush over the different sets of bruises on it. This wasn't right. None of all this was. "You know, right?"

Sasuke suddenly let his hand drop down, eyes training on their entwined fingers, silently eyeing them. He knew exactly what Naruto meant by those words but decided to act clueless. "I know what?"

The blond blinked back tears, gnawing at his lower lip. "Everything." He shifted his eyes towards his rival, fighting his tears. "Every damn thing."

Staring at something on a wall in front of him, Sasuke's expression didn't change. "You didn't tell me who you were either."

A curt bitter chuckle burst out of Naruto's mouth, the teen rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "You can't tell me you didn't know who I–" The sudden pounding of his head let his words die in his throat and Naruto pressed a hand against his aching head, grunting when it only got worse. Having the back of his head knocked against a wall was not healthy after all. Next to him, Sasuke remained silent.

The brunet smoothly lifted his head to set his dark eyes on the other teen, finding Naruto intently staring down at the tabletop. "I won't let anything happen to you anymore."

Eyes widening when onyx ones met his, Naruto was stunned into silence. After so much time of knowing what was going on, Sasuke wanted to do something _now_? "Why?"

The question obviously surprised the older teen a little, his eyes widening and his grip loosening. It took him only seconds though to revert back to his eyes looking unreadable and his hold on Naruto's hand to tighten again. "I tried to help you but you didn't seem to want my help. The least I could do was stop you from doing anything stupid." When Naruto tried to pull his hand away, pain and betrayal written across his face, Sasuke immediately pulled it back into his own lap. "But now I have a reason to get involved."

Naruto's expression hardened more and more. Violently ripping his hand out of Sasuke's hold, he slid away a little. "Are you serious right now?" he hissed, glaring at the other. "You knew _exactly_ what was going on and… and…"

"Back then, I didn't feel about you the same way I do now!"

The intensity in Sasuke's eyes shocked Naruto, who had never before seen so much raw emotion in the other's face. "What are you saying?" His heart beat accelerating, the blond watched as Sasuke visibly gulped and lowered his head a little.

Sasuke's lips moved to form words, but he was cut off by a buzzing noise.

The vibrating in his pants' pocket alarmed Naruto and made him jump, but the teen quickly recovered and grabbed his phone. He pressed his lips together nervously when he saw the number on the display. "Hi," he greeted quietly. A muffled voice sounded from the earpiece and spoke in a rushed way. Whatever this person was saying, it caused Naruto's face to darken. "I know." The blond nodded as the other person kept talking, his eyes holding an unreadable look. "I'll… be there."

"Who is that?" Sasuke suddenly urged, eyes gleaming with alert all of a sudden. Of course he was ignored, which served to unsettle him even more. "Who are you talking to?" Setting his jaw, Sasuke glowered at the phone in the other's hand.

Just when Naruto was about to end the call, his phone was suddenly gone from his hand, jet-black eyes burning into his.

"Who is this?" the raven-haired teen inquired, his fingers tightly curled around Naruto's phone.

_"What?"_ a voice uttered in a confused tone. _"Naru-chan?"_

"Naru-_chan_?" Sasuke repeated with a humorless chuckle, rolling his eyes.

_"Sasuke."_

The voice was obnoxious and jarring. "Suigetsu."

_"Um…"_

There was a small pause and Sasuke nearly laughed. Suigetsu had thought Naruto was by himself, thought he could just ask of him whatever he wanted. "What do you want?"

_"Sasuke, look–"_

"What do you want?" the Uchiha repeated, this time more venomous.

There was a loud distorted sigh, before Suigetsu tried to stammer out some kind of reply. _"You see… Naruto is supposed to just… well…"_

"You want him to come back to that whore house of yours, correct?" Sasuke was aware that Suigetsu knew he couldn't lie to him.

_"Correct," _the other sighed.

"Madara is asking for him, correct?"

There was a hesitant pause, Suigetsu obviously fearing the consequences of what he was saying. _"Correct_,_" _he eventually confirmed.

A cold smirk broke out on Sasuke's face, his features momentarily cast in shadows, the light from outside only illuminating his hair like black velvet. "Just to clarify: Uzumaki Naruto never was and never will be his property. I suppose there is no valid contract tying him to Madara, is there?"

_"Sasuke–"_

"So you can tell Madara that Naruto, from today on, isnot _his_ to command anymore." He hung up pressing the button a bit too hard, his eyes still seemingly glaring daggers at the now silent device. It took a while until he acknowledged the way Naruto stared at him.

Anger and disapproval was painted across the blond's face, his eyebrows knit together tightly into a frown. "What do you think you're doing?" he barked, tearing his phone out of the other's hand. "You think you have _any_ right to make _any_ decisions about _my_ life?"

"I'm helping you."

"No!" the blond roared so loud, a startled Ayame turned her head and glanced into their direction. "You're showing off," he murmured more quietly now. "You think we can be all buddy buddy now that you've _helped_ me? You think flaunting your power will make me like you more?" The unsympathetic stare he received in response only spiked his frustration. "You should have helped me when my fucking _life_ was in danger! When my _dad _was pounding my ass day in day out!" Although his words were spoken quietly, the way he hissed them out in anger and, seemingly disgusted, spat them into Sasuke's face still effectively displayed his rage. His eyes seemed to shoot gleaming sparks of fury at the older teen. "I could have died! _You_ would have _let_ me die."

To any other person, Sasuke seemed like his usual stoic self. Naruto though could clearly see the emotionless mask crumble. He noticed the other gnash his teeth so hard he could hear them crunch. The way his lips slightly shifted in an attempt to continue looking passive. Even the raven-haired teen's unsteady breathing didn't go unnoticed by him. How his eyes stared at him with so much raw emotion, he thought they would catch fire soon.

Naruto noticed all these blatant signs of both anger and something he couldn't read, which only caused his eyes to narrow into a venomous glare. "Do you really think I'll just accept this after you abandoned me? Twice!"

"I'm not like that anymore!" Sasuke roared, not caring if anyone heard. His eyes widening and growing more frantic, he placed a hand on his chest. "I'm trying to repent for that now, you moron!"

A humorless laugh escaped the blond, Naruto shaking his head in disbelief as he glanced around the room in an attempt to not look at Sasuke, for he would attack him if he did. "How can you say that?" he inquired in a low voice, eyes connecting with Sasuke's after all. "When have you ever cared for anyone else besideyourself?"

"I do now," the other replied flatly, suddenly starting to compose himself, his gleaming eyes slowly calming.

Naruto's lips pressed into a thin line as a bell rang in the distance, his eyes turning cold and inscrutable. He stared at the other for a few seconds, slowly beginning to shake his head again. "That's not enough."

Not sparing another glance at Sasuke, the blond simply rushed out of his seat. Two police officers were already coming his way after quickly taking Ayame's short testimony. They briefly scrutinized the teen, one of them offering to sit down, but the blond declined, sending a tiny glare into Sasuke's general direction. Scowling, he stated that he rather talked with the police if they went outside and left, to which they complied, although the second officer made his way towards Sasuke to also take his testimonial. As Naruto left the café, he could hear Sasuke being back to his composed bastardly self, cooly and unperturbedly giving his testimony.

_Figured_, he mused, releasing a dry snort. _Of course he can't ever be bothered by anything. That bastard. _

* * *

><p>The next day, Naruto got ready for school as usual and left together with Sakura. As usual, they arrived a bit early and chatted a little. Classes soon started and like always, Naruto only half listened and sometimes threw in some comments to not be completely silent. Time passed fairly quickly and Naruto was released into his breaks. Like every other day, he spent them with his band of friends and once school ended, he couldn't wait to get out. Like always.<p>

The only difference being that he did all this with a constant frown on his face.

"Dude, what's got you so riled up?" Kiba questioned, placing a hand on the blond's back as an oblivious Akamaru trailed behind them happily wagging his tail. "You've been staring daggers at the air all day."

Naruto merely sighed in an exasperated fashion, stalking towards a tree in the park they were walking to instead of the benches like others. He knew Kiba would follow him, so he didn't care to check as he carelessly dropped down into the shadows the large oak tree provided.

The Inuzuka soon sat down beside him, Akamaru settling down next to him, and waited patiently for the blond to say something instead of pestering him.

"Sasuke…" Naruto began, but trailed off as he realized he couldn't quite put his rage into words. He knew Kiba was looking at him curiously. "He did something horrible and I don't know if I can ever forgive him for it," he eventually murmured, ruffling his own hair.

The brunet merely cocked his head, trying to figure out what Sasuke could have possibly done that was so much worse than what he usually did. It must have been something terrible he realized, which made him frown. "What did he do?" he quietly inquired after a while.

Naruto released another heavy sigh, a scowl now marring his features. He could tell Kiba, couldn't he?

The day before, right after the police had brought him back home to Iruka, he had called up Kurenai and asked her for advice. He had questioned her method of assigning fields to his friends: Sakura with any current social matters, Sasuke with past events and Kiba with anything that concerned anything about his sex life. He was supposed to talk about issues like this with Sasuke, but when Sasuke was the problem, who was he supposed to go to? Kurenai had merely shrugged it off and told him to just confide in whoever he felt most comfortable with, the assigning of fields initially just a way for him and his friends to reconnect. Kurenai looked to be at ease with how things were going with him and seemed somewhat carefree whenever he talked to her nowadays. Apparently though, Mizuki making a move had unsettled her again. Like the police, she had told him to never go anywhere by himself. Like an older sister.

"Naruto?"

The blond finally snapped out of his train of thoughts when he noticed the worried eyes directed at him. "I-I'm fine. Just spaced out for a second." But Kurenai really was starting to become the person he could always go to. Even if they didn't get to talk that often, she had become a constant in his life.

One side of Kiba's lips pulled up into a grin, though his eyes still held a worried gleam. "You wanna talk about it or not?"

"I…" Naruto scratched his head, lowering his face as he thought of Kurenai's words again. Telling Kiba why he was mad meant possibly having to reveal more things about his past with Mizuki. Things he had wanted no one to know. Suddenly, he heard a soft sigh beside him and a warm pressure on his knee. He glanced up to see that Kiba had moved closer until he was sitting right beside him, a hand on the blond's knee. On the brunet's face he found a reassuring smile.

"Just tell me what's gotten your frilly panties in a knot, blondie."

This immediately sent a tiny scowl back onto Naruto's face. "Thunder cunt." He had mumbled it under his breath, but seeing the widening of Kiba's eyes, he thought that maybe he hadn't been _that_ quiet after all.

Kiba suddenly doubled over with laughter, holding his stomach as he rolled around in the grass. Even Akamaru joined in, just for the heck of it apparently, and began to roll in circles all over the ground.

Watching them, Naruto couldn't help but grin along as his friend and his dog couldn't seem to get their shit together today. Like any other day actually.

Slowly calming down and sitting up, Kiba wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, a huge grin still plastered across his face. "I still have no clue how you come up with insults like that," he chuckled. Akamaru came to a stop next to him, but remained laying on his back.

_Kyuubi always says stuff like that_. "There's this guy…" Naruto started, watching as Kiba began to listen intently. "I've known him for as long as I can remember. He's… kind of like Sasuke. Just worse."

"Worse?" Kiba repeated incredulously. "How much of an ass can one person be to be _worse_ than Sasuke?"

"Well, he's managing pretty well. Being an ass and all. Haven't seen him in a while though." Naruto hadn't seen Kyuubi ever since he had been in the hospital, meaning for weeks. Besides Kurenai – and he kind of hated to admit it – Kyuubi was another constant in his life. Along with Iruka and maybe Sakura too. He needed the loony redhead in his life. "Even though he's a total dick wad… I miss him. Kind of." He expected some kind of outburst, something along the lines of how it was possible for him to miss someone that was worse than Sasuke, but nothing came. When he looked at Kiba, he only found a somewhat solemn look on the other teen's face.

"So what has Sasuke done?" the Inuzuka dead-panned. "You've been tippy-toeing around telling me long enough now."

Yet again, a sigh left Naruto's chest and he tried to collect his thoughts. "Well…" How to go about this without revealing too much? "You could say that… Sasuke found some things out… that… he really shouldn't have. You know most of those things too, but not all. And those other things are things I actually never wanted anyone else to know if possible. But Sasuke found out and… what's upsetting me is that he pretty much knew what was going on all along and… didn't do anything. He had the ability to, you know." He thought he heard Kiba growl and could already imagine the fierce glare on the other's face. "I remember him trying to help me and how I kept pushing him away, but then… I mean… He still could've…"

"He _should_ have helped you," Kiba bit out, eyes burning with rage. Akamaru next to him picked up the sudden change in mood and winced quietly. "He knew what that bastard was doing to you and _should_ have done something about it. Although…"

Curious why Kiba's voice had suddenly softened, Naruto eyed the other and found the brunet's scowl to be softening into a serious expression.

"It's not like he did nothing," Kiba stated, his anger only slowly dissipating. "He didn't turn a blind eye on everything. He actually got the rest of us to keep trying to help you."

_I didn't know that… _"Still…" Naruto crossed his arms, anger and disappointment flickering across his face, "he kept listening to me going on and on about how I got tortured every day and decided to just pretend like he's some stranger. I just about told him everything!" He threw his hands up in anger, feeling an angry flush reddening his cheeks.

"But–"

"Let's stop talking about this, okay?" the blond pleaded, shoulders sagging. He had revealed way too much already. He was lucky this was Kiba and not Sakura. His pink-haired friend would have immediately figured out a lot more. "I don't want to be angry anymore. Just… distract me."

"Uh… I'm not exactly an entertainer, you know." Receiving an exasperated glare in return, Kiba threw up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, I'll try." The teen leaned back onto his hands, letting his head drop back to take a look at the sky. His eyes shifted from cloud to cloud, different questions running through his mind. One question especially pushed itself forward. "Do you still want to become Hokage?"

The blond laughed hoarsely at this, raising his head to gaze up at the cloudy sky as well. "Well… ever since I got my memories back, there's this voice in the back of my head telling me I should remember my dream, my goal. Becoming Hokage, you know. I just don't know if I want to become Hokage anymore. I actually wanted to become Hokage so that everyone would acknowledge me, but now I don't think I need that anymore. I already have people that accept me for who I am without having a big title. I think I can be content with that." Embarrassed that he had babbled like that without thinking and seeing Kiba's somewhat astonished expression, Naruto blushed a little. "What about you? Any dreams?" he countered to avert attention away from himself.

"Me?" Kiba's usually casual expression turned into a forlorn one as he rose into a sitting position. "I used to want to become Hokage too, ya know. But now… my dream right now is really just that: a dream. It's impossible."

"I'm sure–"

"No, Naruto." Noticing that Naruto was suddenly listening with intent, Kiba smiled a little as Akamaru dropped his head onto his master's knees. "If I could, I'd have Akamaru stay with me forever. I think I'd even give up a life with a wife and children in exchange."

Eyes widening, Naruto inched a bit closer without noticing. "That much?"

Nodding and dropping his head, Kiba sighed. Akamaru noticed his master's dropping mood, standing up to press his wet nose against the teen's cheek. Kiba tried to calm his partner by burying his fingers into the thick fur of Akamaru's neck and pressed his cheek into the snow-white coat. "Imagine knowing that the person you love most, the person you'd give anything for, the person you'd even jump in front of a car to save, would die in a few years. Akamaru is still young, but I know he'll die in just a few years."

Just by looking at the change in Naruto's face, it was clear that the blond had never had a pet in his life and had never seen that aspect of having one: knowing the beloved pet would die long before oneself.

"I'm starting to even think that being human is a curse," the brunet continued, his voice muffled since his entire face was now buried in Akamaru's fur. The dog seemed calm, as if knowing what he was needed for now. "We live so much longer than other creatures. A lot of times, when Akamaru is just looking at me, all I see in him is the him that'll be dead in some time. Then I start thinking about that day, how I'll react, what I'll do." He paused, seeming as if mulling exactly that over. "I really can't imagine what I'll do." Kiba seemed to cling to the dog now, unable to let go. "That's why I cherish every moment I have with him. I don't want to one day regret not having spent enough time with him and not even enjoyed every damn second of it."

In that moment, Naruto realized how much he envied the bond Kiba and Akamaru shared and how much he desired having something similar. Just someone that he could trust completely, trust even with his life. Someone that truly made him happy.

When Kiba picked up his head to shoot a glance at the silent blond, his expression soon morphed from glum into cheery. "I've kind of come to terms with all that. It's not a problem."

_Liar._ Naruto didn't want to dwell on the topic and now felt like _he_ had to distract _Kiba_. He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, watching intently as Kiba's hand smoothed out ruffled patches of Akamaru's pearly white fur. "You've changed," he suddenly blurted out.

Kiba halted any movement and looked at the blond with confusion and surprise written across his face, before breaking out into a smile. "How?" he grinned.

"You're… calmer. Somehow." Naruto thought back to the days him, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba had pranked teachers and been the center of all kinds of mischief. Laser pointer pranks, dusty eraser pranks, vinegar in coffee pranks, even dead student pranks, they had done it all. "You used to have… a pretty short temper."

"Like you."

"And you were really impulsive."

"Like you." Kiba's grin grew wider and wider.

Naruto in return sent the brunet a tiny glare. "And you messed up a lot cause of _your wild nature_, just to quote Iruka."

"Like you."

Crossing his arms, the blond glared at whatever was in sight, which in this case was a flower innocently standing among the grass, its pink petals moist with pearls of water. _Fucking flower. Looking all smug. _

"It's not like I don't have a temper anymore," Kiba suddenly murmured in a low voice. "And it's not like I don't feel like being wild anymore."

Raising an eyebrow as the other got on all four and sent an indecipherable look at him, Naruto couldn't help but feel a small rush at the glint in the other's eyes. All of a sudden, Naruto was pounced on and pressed to the ground, his wrists pinned down beside his head. "Huh?" he gasped, looking up at the sharp black eyes staring down at him.

"I still feel kind of… feral sometimes."

Silently staring up at the other, Naruto felt something spark through his insides seeing the superior look on the Inuzuka's face. Glaring, he quickly rolled them over so he was on top of the other, although Kiba still had his wrists in a death grip. "Is that so?" he bit out, chuckling. "Cause I do too."

Again, their positions were switched, Kiba laughing more and more at Naruto's darkening mood, the blond obviously not pleased about being easily thrown around like that. This time, he didn't let Naruto roll them over and put nearly all of his weight on the other to keep him down. When the blond started to thrash around without success, he full out laughed at his friend's misery. He heard a small indignant humph, before the blond went still beneath him. His laughter slowly dying down to little giggles, Kiba released Naruto's wrists and instead wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter teen and flipped them over so that Naruto was laying on top of him. Naruto's little frustrated sigh only brightened his mood even more.

Usually, Naruto would have been absolutely livid about being man-handled like that, but this was Kiba and somehow he didn't mind when it was him. His head was on top of the brunet's rising and sinking chest, Kiba's steady heartbeat against his ear easing his mind and lulling him into a blissful calm. Their legs were entangled weirdly, but he didn't mind. Akamaru had run off chasing some butterfly into the bushes and was now digging hole after hole, probably searching for some poor animal hiding underneath the surface. A warm hand settled on the blond's head and just laid there for a bit, before beginning to stroke his blond hair, fingers massaging his scalp. He nearly mewled at the sensation it caused and closed his eyes, a content smile playing along his lips.

Was this what he wanted? Someone to just fool around with and feel content with?

Leaning up on his elbows, Naruto eyed Kiba beneath him, the hand in his hair halting its ministrations.

Kiba could give him all he wanted and more. Affection, trust, security. Love.

But did he want Kiba?

Before he could find an answer to his question, he was already leaning down and pressing his lips to the brunet's, a warm kind of electricity sizzling through his entire body. The hand in his hair grabbed his strands more tightly, pulling him down slightly to deepen the kiss. His tongue soon darted out to explore the other's mouth. Their tongues bumped and rubbed against each other and Naruto released a small moan as a hand settled on the small of his back, slowly inching lower and lower. He felt fingertips dipping underneath the waistband of his pants, drawing circles onto his skin, before slipping out again. Then there was a hand on his ass, squeezing, and he couldn't help but smirk into the kiss that was growing more heated.

He definitely liked Kiba.

They parted once making out in the grass was getting uncomfortable, both out of breath and flushed. Naruto sat up along with Kiba, the blond straddling the other teen. Blue eyes found black ones, Naruto's hands finding their way to cupping Kiba's face. He pressed a small peck to the other's lips, smiling at the both baffled and delighted expression on the Inuzuka's face. "I think we should do this more often."

Those black eyes widened in shock, a smile spreading on Kiba's face. "You mean…"

Naruto chuckled under his breath at the giddy brunet. Pressing another soft kiss to the other's lips he nodded.

This was definitely the right decision. Kiba was loyal, caring and kind. Why shouldn't he at least give this a chance?

* * *

><p>Blond eyebrows furrowed as cerulean eyes scanned over seemingly incomprehensible words. "What's the death-darting eye of cockatrice anyway?" A hand laid down on his shoulder, hot breath fanning against his neck.<p>

"No clue," Kiba provided, seeming just as clueless.

Sakura, in full costume as Juliet, shot them both a mild glare. "A cockatrice is a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head that can turn you into stone or kill you either by looking at you, touching you or breathing on you." As if read straight from the lexicon.

"Oh…" both Naruto and Kiba hummed in response.

"Kiba, get off the stage!" Ino yelled from the audience seats, looking just about ready to chuck a script at the brunet's head.

He only left with a little pout after sneakily pressing a kiss against the back of Naruto's neck. They hadn't made it official yet that they had a thing going on and probably wouldn't be anytime soon. It would just cause too much confusion and drama right now. Especially since everyone still believed Sasuke and Naruto were together.

Naruto could barely focus on his lines with Kiba doing all kinds of antics to distract him. Goofing around behind Ino, making grimaces, throwing kisses, making lewd gestures. It had Naruto both giggling while trying to recite his lines and hiding behind his script whenever a blush crept onto his face. No one seemed to notice, too focused on practice to pay attention to the goofball behind them.

"Naruto!"

The blond dropped the script he had been using to cover his blush and shot the angry Ino a quizzical look. "Huh?"

"It's your turn!" she roared, waving around the script in her hand in anger. "Just pay attention at least once! We only have ten minutes left and I want this scene to be done until then."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved off, honestly trying to concentrate on the script now. He shot a tiny glare into Kiba's direction to stop him from making bunny ears behind Ino's head. Unlike Kiba, he was actually starting to take this play serious, especially seeing how everyone in his class was putting so much effort into it. And even though she didn't seem like it, Sakura was absolutely delighted about being Juliet and spent her entire afternoons just studying the script. He didn't want to ruin everything by messing up his lines or being the resident klutz.

Looking down at himself, Naruto again thanked any deities responsible for school plays for not putting him into tights. Their costumes were simple, just casual clothes you would see people wearing on the streets. His costume consisted of a simple gray wool coat with two rows of black buttons, a plain white shirt and a pair of his own jeans. Sakura was dressed in a collared white dress that lightly flowed around her thighs. For practice she was wearing flat shoes, but Ino had instructed her to practice walking in heels at home. Naruto's eyes trailed down the girl's legs, finding a small bruise on her ankle. She had been walking a bit funny and he realized that she probably had been wearing heels while practicing her lines. He could picture it perfectly: Sakura walking up and down her room in heels, holding her script and reading out her lines, then tripping over her own feet. The smile on the blond's face vanished quickly though when he glanced at his script again, a thought hitting him.

Ino sighed and leaned back into her seat. "We're still stuck on act five," she mumbled, her eyes jumping across the script. "Let's start from the beginning of scene five!" Her voice echoed throughout the entire room, so loud it made the people beside her jump a little.

"Hey, Ino!" Naruto shouted, just when Sakura was about to start. He didn't let himself be deterred by the glare the blonde sent him, having seen worse. "How old is Juliet even supposed to be?"

One of Ino's perfectly shaped eyebrows rose, a sour look appearing on her face. "Well…" Her expression slowly relaxed as she mulled the question over in her head.

"Thirteen," Shikamaru provided from beside Ino, eyes closed and looking mostly like he was still sleeping. "Her age is specified pretty clearly by her father. Romeo's age is never mentioned, but he should be in his late teens."

"Thirteen?" Ino shrieked, frantically looking over the script again. "That can't be."

Sighing, Shikamaru finally opened his eyes a little to dazedly stare off into the distance. "_My child is yet a stranger in the world. She hath not seen the change of fourteen years_. You'd know if you'd paid attention, Ino."

"Meaning…" Naruto cut in before Ino could even get a word in, "Sakura-chan is supposed to play a thirteen-year-old while wearing some heels?"

Regaining her composure, Ino tucked a loose strand of hair behind her hair. "I guess not."

Beaming, Naruto gave Sakura a thumbs-up, receiving a surprised look, followed by a giggle that his best friend tried to stifle beneath her hand. She mouthed a _Thanks_ to him, beaming too now that the burden of having to perform while wearing heels had been taken off of her shoulders.

Practice continued smoothly for Sakura and a bit bumpier for Naruto. He still stumbled over his lines every now and then and heavily depended on the script. Ino didn't seem too mad though, so perhaps he was actually doing a good job. Everyone seemed fairly satisfied as they ended practice and made to leave.

It didn't take long for Naruto to change back into his normal clothes. Since only him and Sakura had been assigned any costumes so far, he was by himself in the dingy space behind the stage. Once he had pulled on his jacket, he headed for the door leading to the corridor, but a cracking sound behind him stopped him in his tracks.

The sudden sound in the silence of the gloomy theatre room sent a small shiver down his spine, his senses suddenly alert. Slowly, Naruto turned his face, trying to convince himself that the noise was probably just the aged stage making loud cracking noises on its own.

_As if_.

Before he could even turn his head enough to glance behind him, Naruto was shoved and pushed until his back hit a wall. A gasp passed the blond's lips as his breath ended up stuck in his throat, dark eyes burning into his. "Sasuke?" The older teen's eyes seethed with emotion, that much Naruto could tell. But the Uchiha's expression remained unreadable to him.

"Do you honestly believe no one notices you two?" the raven-haired teen hissed, face inching a little closer to the blond's.

A frown slowly formed on Naruto's face as he processed the words. "What?" Hands came down next to both sides of his head, trapping him.

"Why are you doing this?"

Naruto searched the other's eyes, trying to decipher any of the emotions he saw in them. In vain. "I don't know what you're talking about."

A sarcastic half-grin pulled at Sasuke's lips, a humorless laugh leaving his mouth. "You and the mutt. You knew exactly I would notice."

"Not every damn thing is always about you, bastard," Naruto shot back. "What if I was just sick of your games, huh?"

"And if you were?" Sasuke inched even closer, their noses soon nearly close enough to touch. "Wouldn't you try to jab at me any way possible in that case?"

When Sasuke got too close for comfort, Naruto roughly pushed against the other's chest, smirking when he stumbled back a few steps. "Are you saying that I'm trying to make you _jealous_ with Kiba? That's ridiculous!"

"You suddenly get all cuddly with that asinine blockhead right after our little encounter. I wonder how that happened." Sasuke's voice suddenly gained a mocking tone, the teen stepping closer again.

"It's not because of you!"

"I beg to differ," Sasuke bit out.

Really, all this was pointless. There wasn't even any reason for Sasuke to be jealous. They weren't actually dating, their fake relationshipjust a way for Sasuke to get back at Madara and for Naruto to get out of Akatsuki.

And again, the Uchiha was getting too close for his taste. Beginning to see red, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's collar in anger, pushing him back. "You stuck-up prick!" He wanted to violently shake the other, but was stopped by a death grip on his wrists. Sasuke held his wrists so tightly, he nearly couldn't keep holding on to the fabric between his fingers and almost ended up releasing the other's collar. The grip on one of his hands was suddenly released and before he could react, one hand grabbed the back of his head, fingers tangling into his hair. Black eyes burned into his, sending bouts of adrenaline shooting through his blood stream, making his breath come in sharp intakes of air.

The air between the two teens sizzled with tension, growing hot with their shared breath. The fingers in Naruto's hair tightened their grip, making the blond sneer. In return, Naruto pulled the other closer by his collar. He was suddenly more conscious of his rival than he had been his entire life, of Sasuke's sharp jaw, the way the silky strands of his hair framed his face, of the tiny scar at the edge of his upper lip.

Before he knew it, they were moving backwards, his back connecting with the cold wall again, Sasuke pushing him up against it, lips crashing onto his, their teeth clashing painfully in their rush. Goosebumps formed all over Naruto's skin with Sasuke pressing his lips against his in such a demanding way. A tongue pushed into his mouth, completely smothering him and making him yearn for more. The way it moved against his had him turning into mush in the other's arms, his legs growing weak. Naruto was pushed up the wall more and more, his feet leaving the floor as Sasuke pressed himself flush against him, hands coming down to grab his ass and pull him up. Unable to stand on his own now, he loosely wrapped his legs around his rival's waist. He felt himself slip, but gasped when Sasuke pushed him up again with his hands tightly gripping his ass.

Letting go of Sasuke's collar, Naruto couldn't help but dig his fingers into the other's smooth hair. The musty smell of the theatre room was easily overshadowed by the fragrance of Sasuke's hot skin against Naruto's nose, the taste of the other's enticing mouth so addicting, the blond's hunger for more only deepened.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the loud ring of the bell chiming for the next period to begin had them part their lips in shock. Naruto's eyes scanned over Sasuke's face, finding a faint flush on the other's cheeks. Suddenly realizing in what position he was in, he pushed Sasuke away and barely landed back on his own feet without falling, although he kept swaying where he stood.

When his eyes connected with Sasuke, there was a dark glint in those dark pools. Naruto suddenly felt reminded of that eery Sasuke of his nightmare, the one that had seemed empty, lost, drowned in hate. Had been surrounded by bloody corpses, had been eaten up by the death surrounding him. The Sasuke that had been too far away for him to reach.

No. That hadn't been Sasuke. What he had seen was a monster. And he didn't want to believe that somewhere in that glare the other was sending him, he could see those blood-red eyes.

Suddenly, Sasuke took a step forward, fixing him with that glare.

That glint was still there and Naruto was petrified by it. He knew that glint and he knew only one other person that had ever stared at him with that kind of look, the emotions it displayed not necessarily directed at him. It still terrified him though, knowing someone could have something so deeply rooted in his being, it even showed through his eyes. Not even Mizuki had ever looked at him like that.

Like Kyuubi.

With that kind of desire for bloodshed, for destruction, for _death_.

Naruto was out the door in seconds, lips still burning and loud pants leaving his mouth. If Sasuke was following him, he didn't notice. Walking past students leaving for their next period like him, the blond tried to get himself in order, his mind _and_ his body. Despite the fear that still clenched tightly around his guts, his thoughts were still circling around Sasuke and the way his lips had felt against his as if he was suddenly the center of the universe. A flush still heated his neck and chest, his body shaking from the adrenaline rush. It was as if Sasuke's fingers were still firmly gripping his ass.

He hadn't felt this way with Kiba. There was no adrenaline rush when the brunet touched him, no heat spreading over his entire body. He didn't have the same hunger for Kiba's mouth that he had for Sasuke's.

Before he could dwell on these thoughts any longer, Naruto noticed a pair of sharp eyes staring at him from across the corridor. When he tried to look past the people walking by, eyes narrowing, he could faintly make out someone coming his way, those eyes firmly trained on him. He took a surprised step back when he recognized the person after only a moment of thinking. "You? Why are you here?"

His startled words were only met by a smirk.

* * *

><p>I just noticed that it's been nearly three years since I've started writing fanfiction… Oh gosh, my English back then. My grammar. Just a while ago, I still tended to sneak in made up words without noticing. I always hesitate to read my old fics because I just <em>know<em> I'll flip tables seeing my own stupid mistakes.

So, bad news: I've kind of planned out the chapters until the end of this story, meaning there will only be a few chapters left until this story ends. I'm not sure how many chapters there will still be, since I've got a rough outline with maybe eight or nine important scenes. It keeps piling up though, so maybe I'll have twice as much soon. Sometimes I end up writing an entire chapter or more around just a single scene though, so that doesn't mean there will only be two or three chapters left. There could be ten or fifteen or more left, I can't tell. It's going to be epic though. Chapter 32 is just… I'm _tingling_ from the excitement to write it, guys!

And it looks like taking out those three chapters not written by me to replace them with a chapter of my own was the best thing I ever did for this story. If only I had done that from the beginning… You guys got this early update because I kicked my own ass for once seeing how many people liked the changes.

I'm in love with the scenes between Sasuke and Naruto in this chapter, by the way. I don't know why. Writing with Sasuke and Naruto is so challenging with all the tension going on, but then the scenes usually turn out great. Especially the make-out scene. I actually _tried_ writing this one well, even though it was short. And? Is it steamy?

Next chapter: Mayhem

– Murasaki B


	31. Mayhem

This chapter… I don't even know. It got out of hand. It wrote itself most of the time. I think I was on crack for some time. Herp derp

Prepare for stuff that doesn't have _anything_ to do with this story!

**Maybe2Morrow** and** Raiko**, you two are adorable! Makes me feel all warm and fluffy inside knowing my readers like the same things I do. And you bet I've checked out _Break Down_, **Raiko**! I _died_ several times watching the video! This is my response to it when I watched it while talking to **TheMadKatter13**: "OMFG SO MUCH MIND FUCK THEIR LEGS AND OMG WHAT WAS THAT ALL THE TIME THEIR LEEEEEEEGS OMG AND FUCK THEIR HURRRR OMG DYING WHAT IS AIR MY HEART IS GOING FUCKING DOKI DOKI ALL OVER THE PLACE I CANT DONGHAE'S HALF BLOND HALF DARK AND IT'S JUST GOOOOOODLY AND EUNHYUGGGIIE WHAT'RE YOU DOING WITH THOSE LEGS OF YOURS AND ZHOU MI AMG DYING STAHP ALL OF YOU KYUHYUN WHY THOSE CLOTHES THOSE CLOOOTHES OMFG"

Yes… Me in fangirl mode can be scary… There are two more messages like this when I re-watched the video two more times. I _immediately_ downloaded the entire album from iTunes. Ever since Kpop happened to me I actually pay for my music again because I want to support the groups I love. And no, I don't write EunHae fanfiction, but I was working on a slightly angsty Leeteuk-centered fic where he gets stalked. No clue if I'm ever gonna continue working on it. And oh my gosh, I miss Leeteuk so much *cries*. As for your question who my second bias is… Eunhyuk, I think. Although I love all of them equally, so it's hard to decide. I'm addicted to _I Got a Boy _btw. I don't know why. A lot of people hate it, but I love it for some reason. I just love the change in SNDS's image lately, even if they can't seem to get rid of the cutesy stuff completely. And Jaejoong's new music video omg. The sooooooong. It's so dark and asdfghjkl

So yeah… If any of you feel the need to talk to me, wether it be about the story or RED or K-Pop (SJ asdfghjkl dying I can't) or anything else, just PM me or leave an anon comment. I'll either PM you back or write my reply here if you're anon. I feel like I don't have as much contact with my readers as I used to in other stories, that's why.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXI<span>  
><span>– Mayhem –<span>

He knew exactly this wasn't going anywhere. Even after so many weeks, the reason he had neglected his primary goal eluded him nonetheless. Still, he couldn't help but always come back for more, like a crack addict constantly coming back to his dealer despite destroying himself in the process.

He did not know why the reason he had come back kept fading in his mind.

He did not know why he stayed.

He did not know why Naruto had suddenly become the thing his entire life orbited around.

Seeing the blond always walk away from him either angered or horrified reminded him each time that he had more important things to worry about than Naruto. Technically, he didn't have to go to this school anymore, his presence only supposed to fool people into thinking he was intending to stay. Especially Naruto was so easy to trick. It was no wonder with all the things constantly shifting his attention. It took him close to no effort to fool the blond.

It was finally time he severed any bonds once and for all. There wasn't much time left. Soon, he wouldn't be able to go on like this anymore. He couldn't keep wasting time when the reason for his life-long misery and despair was still walking around.

Still alive.

* * *

><p>"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Naruto chuckled in a slightly sheepish way.<p>

The redhead beside him merely chuckled, seeming like he cared only little about the blond's awkwardness around him. "I have a feeling you don't remember our past encounters well."

A hint of panic crossed Naruto's face, a nervous smile curling his lips. "Ah, that's because–"

"I know," the redhead simply cut in with the hint of a smile. He seemed as content being with the blond as can be, casually walking beside him. "It seems like you don't have much recollection of the events three years ago, otherwise you would be reacting a bit differently to me."

The way he chose his words reminded Naruto of a certain raven-haired teen, seething eyes burning into his, porcelain skin against his, cool to the touch but still sending fire through his veins. Slender fingers ghosting along his arms, hot breath fanning against his ears. Nose gently bumping against his, parted lips–

"Naruto?"

With a small gasp, Naruto broke out of his daze and looked at the other teen, faced with slightly widened eyes and the sudden absence of that tiny smile. "Ah… Um… I'm fine," he grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Just spaced out for a second." He was still nervous, but what he didn't expect was seeing the genuine smile spreading on the redhead's face, much wider than the one he had been wearing just seconds before.

"The past three years I have been thinking a lot about you and what you said to me. I decided that I want to work hard so that others will accept my existence. I know it will be hard work, but it's necessary for me to make my own path. Maybe then I can be like you, Naruto."

Naruto stopped walking now, a weird feeling he couldn't quite place invading his mind, even his guts.

_You have the same eyes as I do._

He turned to look straight at the redhead, searching his features, looking for an answer. Those eyes staring back at him roused something in his mind.

_Your eyes tell me how badly you wish to kill the one who put you through the hell called loneliness._

Turquoise pools seeming to pull him in more and more, seeming oh so familiar all of a sudden. Suddenly, it was like quite a few damns broke.

_The pain of being alone is completely out of this world, isn't it?_

Memories came flooding back to Naruto.

_I don't know why, but I understand your feelings so much, it actually hurts._

Memories of a bitter redhead wreaking havoc wherever he went, hurting whoever dared to cross his path, cursing those that just so much as looked at him. Someone that had hurt the people dear to Naruto, even nearly killed some of them. Someone that had been stopped by Naruto's words only. The words of someone that had shared the same pain of loneliness.

_These people are important to me, so I won't let you hurt them. They helped me! I was lonely before they came! So I'll definitely stop you if you try to harm even a single hair on their head!_

Cerulean eyes widened to an impossible size, jaw dropping, the blond taking in a gasp of air. "Oh my gosh, Gaara!" he yelled, literally jumping at the other to wrap his arms around Gaara's neck. Heads turned at his volume, although he couldn't care less, especially now that he was reunited with his fellow in misery. "How have you been!" he continued shouting, releasing the other from his embrace to shake him a little by his shoulders. "You look so happy! Oh my gosh, what the hell happened! I can't even– Oh my gosh!" Not the master of his body at the moment, Naruto couldn't stop himself from cupping the other's face to pull him closer. "You grew your bangs out! You look so hot with longer hair!" This, Naruto decided, was the moment he should probably stop grabbing other people's faces in the middle of the hallway and shut his mouth. Put a hand over it as well for good measure. "Sorry," he laughed from beneath his hand, a blush reddening his cheeks a little. "I'm just happy to see you so… happy."

Gaara merely cocked his head, looking not at all perturbed by the way he had been just shouted at with a smile still playing along his lips. "Unfortunately, not everyone sees me like that."

Before he could ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, Naruto noticed the eyes directed at them, piercing them with suspicious looks. He could faintly hear the people around them whispering, their hushed words reaching his ears nonetheless.

_"Didn't he fight with Lee-sempai?"_

_"More like tried to murder him."_

_"That guy's insane."_

More people joined into the whispering, their words beginning to jumble up into a nearly indecipherable mess of words. Along with the looks they were giving the pair, Naruto felt like suddenly the entire school had turned on them, walking by thinking the two didn't notice, hiding their words behind their hands but still speaking loud enough for the two to hear.

_"–completely whack–"_

_"–suspended from school–"_

Heads turned, eyes fell on them, people distanced themselves from the two, rushed away, looked somewhere else whenever their eyes connected with Gaara's.

_"–nearly killed his siblings whenever–"_

_"–even Haruno-san–"_

_"–should have stayed in the mental–"_

Averting his attention back to Gaara, Naruto could clearly see the other's discomfort. The others, those insensible morons, couldn't see what Naruto could. The slightly hunched shoulders, the clenched fists, the down-cast eyes, the way the redhead tightly pressed his lips together. They couldn't see, but even if they could, Naruto had a feeling they wouldn't care. Just keep talking, glaring, backing away as if Gaara would pounce on them like a ravenous hyena. Watching Gaara with some discomfort of his own, Naruto wrapped his hand around one of the other's, tangling his fingers with the redhead's cold ones. When the other shot him a quizzical look, the blond simply smiled, pulling him along as he walked away.

This was a behavior Gaara hadn't expected at all. If anything, he had thought Naruto would blow up and start ranting at everyone, yelling and shouting until they either stopped whispering or just left. He hadn't expected the blond to gently pull him away from the mayhem that was gossiping students. It sent yet another smile onto his face and he let himself be guided away.

Naruto brought them towards the corridor with classrooms and Gaara quickly realized that they were headed for the blond's class. He tried prying his hand out of the blond's, not wanting to be the cause for more unnecessary rumors, but the grip around his fingers merely tightened, Naruto turning around to send him a tense smile.

Great, he had done it. Now Naruto was feeling down. And he had just met him again after such a long time.

They entered the classroom and were greeted by the sight of nearly all students of the class cooped up inside. Gaara's eyes widened slightly, knowing this couldn't turn out well. It would be just the same as in the hallways. Glares, whispers, rumors. Panic. He stopped, tugging on Naruto's hand. When the blond turned around to look at him, he was completely set on making him let go of his hand, but then he saw the strained expression on Naruto's face. And he could only silently watch as the blond before him exploded.

"Those fucking morons!"

Now that got everyone's attention.

Naruto obviously didn't care though. "Can you believe them? It was like you weren't even there! How can they just say crap like that without even knowing you?" His arms angrily flailed around as he ranted, his face slowly turning red with rage. "Insensitive bastards! Going around spreading lies." He just _had_ to release the anger he had been holding in ever since those morons had started talking. It had taken all his willpower not to make a scene in the middle of the hallway.

Gaara dropped his head little, sending a quick glance at their entwined fingers, not daring to look at the students he knew were watching. "They weren't lies though," he mumbled, just loud enough for the blond to hear. He could see the other's face fall a little, but before Naruto could say anything, a voice interrupted him.

"Naruto!" someone softly called from the many rows of desks.

The blond's face finally lost some of the rage and tension as he looked at Shikamaru calmly sitting there with his head propped up on one hand.

"What happened?" the brunet inquired, unable to suppress a yawn. Apparently, Naruto's yelling had woken him from his second break nap. For Shikamaru there were only two periods of time: nap time and waiting-for-nap time. Maybe some stuff in between, but only a little. And despite his sleepy appearance, the brunet's sharp eyes settled on Gaara for a moment, before returning to the blond.

"Some morons are spreading rumors about Gaara without knowing a thing! And they were talking so fucking loud even people over in Kiri probably heard! And– Argh!" Naruto seemed about ready to punch something, burying his hand in his hair in frustration. "They were acting like Gaara is some kind of biohazard!"

Countless pairs of eyes filled with surprise were now staring at the pair.

Shikamaru too seemed somewhat startled. "Well–"

"Guys, Gaara is as dangerous as a pink butterfly stuck on a marshmallow!"

"Um…"

"Shikamaru!" the blond yelled, marching towards the brunet. "Does he look like some lunatic to you?"

Shikamaru found himself being grabbed by the collar and nearly pulled across his own desk, forced to eye the redhead at the front of the room. "Aside from the huge red tattoo on his forehead and pitch black rings around his eyes… nope. Not at all."

"Are you being sarcastic with me right now?" Naruto demanded loudly in a clipped tone.

"You sound like my mom right now. How troublesome."

"Shika!" Panting after all the yelling, Naruto's began to frown when Shikamaru simply chuckled and smiled at him.

"Relax, I don't think he's dangerous. You two have been clinging to each other's hands like elementary schoolers ever since you came in. How can I think he's dangerous?"

Only now noticing his vice grip on the redhead's hand, Naruto let go with a blush blooming on his cheeks. His eyes quickly turned steely again though, his eyes darting towards the rest of his class. Before he could lecture them about how Gaara wasn't dangerous – not anymore at least – he was cut off.

"I bet those assholes spreading rumors were from 1-A," some brunet Naruto had never cared to remember the name of piped up. "They always talk shit about other classes."

"Yeah!" another one chimed in. "Some idiots just have nothing better to do than spread stupid crap about others."

Shikamaru, along with the rest of Naruto's friends, all watched the class instantly break out into a collective rant with a mix of shock and awe. Until then, Naruto hadn't even paid attention to his friends surrounding Shikamaru, the brunet the first and only one he had seen upon entering. Chouji and Ino sat beside him, Hinata, Kiba and Shino behind the three. Sakura was beside the brunet that had started talking. A flush heated the skin of Naruto's neck and chest when he saw those coal eyes pointedly staring out of the window from a desk in the far back. He gulped, trying to get his breathing under control again. Him and Sasuke had kissed before. Why was this affecting him so much? Why couldn't he just go on like before? What was different?

He had kissed back.

_Oh my gosh… No. But I don't– I mean… I can't…_

The pencils and books flying across the room now, thrown around by angry students, went completely unnoticed by Naruto. Gaara beside him was still tense, only his soft poking of the blond's shoulder finally bringing Naruto back to reality. He was spacing out way too much lately.

"Naruto?"

The hesitant call of his name had the blond turn to Gaara with a questioning look.

"Is all this…" Gaara shot a quick glance at the mayhem that was enraged students picking apart an entire classroom bit by bit, "because of me?"

Naruto felt like taking Gaara somewhere else again. His class was… like him. Loud, easily distracted, lacking any kind of self-restraint and ignorant to the existence of formality and social standings. And perverted. At least it had become like that over the past several months. Especially after Asuma's death. How the death of a teacher could produce this kind of tight-knit wolf pack lacking any kind of school etiquette he did not know. All he could do was nod at Gaara and apologize for his retarded classmates.

Kakashi chose that moment to enter, the class immediately quieting down, everyone returning to their respective seat after picking up their discarded books, pencils, shoes or… underwear. Naruto too was about to rush to an empty seat, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around to see Kakashi giving him his eye smile.

"I apologize for being late," the white-haired man casually greeted his students. "A cute girl stopped me on the way, so I danced." Kakashi ignored any disbelieving protests and shouts of _Liar _and _Old man's probably doing drugs_. "Class," the white-haired man bellowed, "as you can see, we have a new student." While Naruto next to him suddenly began to beam like a thousand watt bulb, his other hand came down on Gaara's shoulder. "Some of you may remember him. He was a transfer student a while back, along with a few other students from Suna." The man leaned down to the redhead. "Tell them your name," he whispered.

"Sabaku no Gaara," the redhead drawled in his signature velvety-as-hell voice. "Nice to meet you."

He immediately had the entire class worshipping him. Literally.

Later that day, the first official Gaara fan club would be formed and the redhead would be the latest addition to the list of hot guys in Konoha High to drool over. Anyone saying bad things about Gaara would be purged by the rabid fangirl hordes.

"Please take good care of Gaara-kun here," Kakashi announced, although it seemed more like a threat coming from him. "Now to our second new student…" Immediately the confused and shocked whispers started, only to be silenced by Kakashi's uber-threatening eye smile. "Please take just as good care of him."

Naruto was still standing in the front a bit awkwardly. The mention of a new student shocked him a little too, since judging by the class' reaction, no one had noticed a new face besides Gaara. There _was_ no new student besides Gaara.

"Sai."

The voice had come from beside Naruto. _Right_ beside him.

His head whipped around so fast the blond could hear some joints in his neck crack. "Sai?" he yelled, ignoring the fact that the brunet was right beside him and could have heard him without Naruto possibly damaging the other's ear drums permanently.

Sai though seemed unaffected by the volume. "Yes. It looks like you are still unable to converse with people intelligently, Naruto-kun." He smiled, but the only effect it had on Naruto was the blond feeling such harsh shivers running down his spine that he completely forgot about being offended. "Now that we're classmates, I probably should think of a nickname for you. I read in a book that giving people nicknames makes it easier to form bonds."

"Hah?" the blond groaned, unable to fathom how he was supposed to handle Sai. As a classmate. On a daily basis. Turning a murderous teen wanting to kill everyone into his friend he knew how to do, but Sai was an entirely different story. That guy just creeped him out. Even more than a murderous teen wanting to kill everyone.

"Now what should I call you?" Sai, although his face didn't change, seemed to be genuinely thinking about a proper nickname.

Actually, Naruto liked the guy. Somehow. But only when he wasn't exposed to him for a span of time longer than what a curt _Hello_ and _Bye _took.

Sai simply kept smiling at him with that creepy smile, thinking of a nickname, the class watching him and waiting for some reason to turn the classroom upside down again.

Back at Akatsuki, Sai hadn't seemed that bad. Maybe he was just nervous. Poor guy probably had no clue how to behave around others his age, having spent most of his life with lunatics. And Suigetsu. Who was also a lunatic. Sai was probably a really nice guy.

"You're quite the pussy, aren't you?"

_Yep. The beautiful beginning of a new friendship. _

"Do you even have a dick?"

_Now, now, Sai. No need to try becoming friends with me so eagerly._

Naruto could just barely stop his clenched fist from connecting with that pale face. His entire arm was shaking from the effort, the tense smile on his face turning into a grimace.

"Sai," Kakashi murmured, glancing at the silently fuming blond, "I think you should sit down." When the pale teen sent him what must have been a disapproving look, he started pushing Sai away with a hand on the teen's back, watching with his eye smile as the teen sat down beside Sakura. That hand quickly returned to Naruto's shoulder though. "So since Naruto-_kun_ here knows you two already, he'll be the one showing you around tomorrow. You know, introducing students and all that stuff."

"Kakashi-sensei…"

The white-haired man completely ignored the way his name was growled out angrily and simply gave the blond a clap on his shoulder. "I'm sure you all will be getting along just great." With that he sent the two off to sit down in vacant seats, Naruto still fuming and Gaara recovered from his slight shock by now. Before the man could start his lesson though, someone cut him off.

"You just said_ fatso_, didn't you?" Chouji rumbled from his seat, turned around to glare at a clueless Sai.

And of course, the pale teen kept smiling at the other. "Why of course. That nickname fits you perfectly. You're so fat I haven't even gotten to see all of you yet. I'd probably have to take a train and a few bus tours to see it all."

The slap of Naruto's palm connecting with his face was the last thing heard before the classroom was turned upside down again.

* * *

><p>Kakashi shut his book with an audible clap and glanced up to view his class. The inner clock of the class told the students that the period was about to end, which caused all of them to begin packing their things. The man simply watched them for a while and when the bell rang, he silently went back to his creaking desk. When the first few students were about to leave, he waved Sai over to remove the piece of green duct tape that had been put over his mouth. The teen didn't even flinch when he ripped it off and just left with his creepy smile still intact. Kakashi's eyes soon wandered over to Naruto, who was staring after Sai's retreating back with a thoughtful look on his face. "Naruto."<p>

The blond flinched a little, as if he had been caught, and sent the man a questioning look. When Kakashi lazily waved him over, he sighed, packing his things together in a haste and stalked towards the man. It was clearly written across his face that Sai's sudden appearance as a new student was confusing him to no end. He obviously wanted to ask his teacher what exactly Sai was doing here, away from Akatsuki. Wondering about Gaara as well didn't occur to him yet. "What is it?"

The teacher remained silent, seeming as if waiting for the rest of the class to leave. As soon as the last person had passed the threshold, his eye smile faded a little and his eyes trained on the blond. "How are things going with Iruka-sensei?"

"Uh…" Naruto hadn't expected that kind of question at all. Moreover, Kakashi knowing Iruka surprised him the most. "Well… uh… Fine. I guess."

"That's good," Kakashi hummed, nodding to himself. His gaze dropped to the floor, one of his hands pulling back to ruffle his hair a little. "It's not a permanent solution though, is it?"

The blond's eyes too lowered to the floor. "No." The thought of one of his biggest issues still remaining unresolved immediately destroyed any good mood Naruto had built up throughout the day.

"Then…" Kakashi seemed uncertain about how to choose his words, eyes lazily jumping around the room as he kept pondering, his hand lowering from his hair to settle on the side of his neck. "Then how about staying with me?"

Naruto's head instantly snapped up to meet the man's gaze, the blond's eyes widening as he tried to grasp the meaning of those words.

"My apartment has a few extra rooms I don't need and… Let's say I wouldn't have any serious financial problems taking you in."

Despite his literature teacher being more on the pervy side, which Naruto had experienced first-hand, the blond couldn't find a reason to find this offer suspicious. After all, for the longest time, he was intending to stay with an old perverted man he had met at an onsen. Speaking of which… "I'm actually waiting to stay with someone else."

"Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi's eye smile returned as he noted the shocked expression on the blond's face. "Right?"

"Right…" the blond replied hesitantly. "You know him?"

Again, Kakashi's smile faded to be replaced by a look Naruto had never seen on the usually carefree man before. His features looked solemn, serious. That in itself should have made him uneasy, but being oblivious as he was, it simply confused him. "He… is away for a while," Kakashi eventually explained. "He won't be able to take you in any time soon."

That sentence really should have made Naruto suspicious, maybe worried, thoughtful at the very least. But it didn't. Maybe Sasuke was right and he really was a moron that was too oblivious to function.

"And although he's probably not complaining, you can't stay with Iruka-sensei."

This wasn't right. Kakashi seemed to know more than he should. "How…" A frown creased Naruto's eyebrows, his eyes searching the man's face, "How much do you know?" He was just some random guy that had been with Akatsuki, right? That had been with the police for some time and was now his teacher. Just some guy.

Someone that was a stranger to him.

"I know enough," was all the man provided, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against his desk. "I know this is no easy decision to make. I don't expect you to decide right now either. And–" He silenced when he saw the way the blond stared at him with narrowed eyes. "What?"

His expression loosening up a little, Naruto kept staring at the man with a puzzled expression. "Am I supposed to…" He scratched his cheek, trying to find the words. "Have we met before… we met? In… _that_ place, I mean." Gaara was living proof that just seeing people didn't bring back memories. What if…

A small chuckle left the white-haired man. "Sometimes you must look underneath the underneath."

All those words did was make Naruto's puzzled expression turn even more puzzled.

"Sometimes there are hidden meanings and sometimes there are hidden meanings behind hidden meanings. You need to look closer sometimes."

Naruto quickly waved the man off. "I get it."

"I'm telling you this because you _don't_ get it. You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?"

Those words didn't spark a wave of past memories like Gaara's had. They just… suddenly made Naruto trust Kakashi in a way he hadn't thought possible. There was something about the man that just made him feel safe. And the feeling of having known him even before their initial meeting in Akatsuki wouldn't leave him. "I'll stay with you," he suddenly beamed, taking the man by surprise.

Kakashi didn't say a word for a while, just stared at the teen with slightly widened eyes. He composed himself quickly though, his eye smile returning. "Then I'll prepare everything." His eyes turned distant all of a sudden. "I probably should get rid of a few things before taking in a sixteen-year-old," he mumbled. "Anyway… Sai-kun is also staying with me."

Before Naruto could even voice his shock, the other's gaze suddenly shifted to something behind the blond and upon turning around to see what it was, he found Gaara still sitting at his desk a few feet behind him. He hadn't even noticed that the redhead had been there the entire time! Although Gaara seemed occupied with his phone. A strange view. Like watching a lion using a toaster.

A hand on his head had Naruto turning his head back to look at Kakashi, a blush creeping onto his cheeks when the man began gently ruffling his hair.

"Promise me to be careful, okay?"

Voice stuck in his throat, all Naruto could do was nod.

There really was more to his literature teacher than he had thought.

* * *

><p>Once school was over, Naruto found himself hastily pulled into an empty classroom by Kiba. The lips that descended onto his naturally sparked some electricity, made him blush and kiss back. And it wasn't like he didn't enjoy kissing the brunet. Kiba wasn't a bad kisser after all.<p>

He had heard about people getting together with a friend but feeling like kissing a sibling whenever it came to it. That wasn't the case here. His lips tingled when they touched Kiba's, he moaned when the brunet ran his fingers over his body, a blush reddened his cheeks when Kiba grabbed his ass. And it happened a lot. Kiba grabbing his ass. It seemed like the Inuzuka had a fixation on the blond's rear, unable to go for longer periods of time without touching it. The occasional clap on Naruto's ass seemed to be socially accepted, since no one really minded. To others they were just really close guy friends and guy friends just did that sometimes. When no one was looking, there would be a stroke or squeeze and while making out there was sure to be at least one hand on Naruto's ass as if glued there. It both confused and flattered Naruto. His behind wasn't exactly perfectly round and bouncy and all that, just there. But Kiba liked it and that was all that mattered.

Making out in empty classrooms was very cliché, but neither Naruto nor Kiba cared. Bathrooms were too cramped and the only place no one ever went to during breaks or after school were these classrooms. And it was fine as long as Kiba didn't go overboard and hauled Naruto onto a desk to ravish him like he wanted to.

Not much had changed between them. They had shared the occasional kiss before, gone further than just touching lips. All that had changed was that they had admitted to something being there, something that possibly made them more than friends. They weren't dating though. Both knew that without speaking it out. They still behaved the same way they had before, bickering a lot and being the way they always had been. But now… Now they were friends with benefits. Still friends, just occasionally disappearing to make out in a dark classroom. Naruto knew Kiba wanted a little more than that. He knew that Kiba's feelings for him were slightly different to his for the brunet. Still, there was something between them, so why shouldn't he be content with that?

_Because it's not the same._

Naruto pulled back from Kiba's lips all of a sudden, finding himself on a desk again, his shirt pushed up. Panting, feeling puffs of Kiba's breath hit his face, he eyed the other's flushed face and slightly hazy eyes. His lips prickled where the brunet's sharp canines had grazed them. Naruto gently touched them, head lowering a little. He felt hands carefully cupping his face and pull him forward, lips pressing against the spot between his eyebrows.

_I wonder if Sasuke can be this gentle too._

Something had changed between Sasuke and Naruto. A lot actually. Their relationship was like a roller coaster taking dramatic drives upwards, only to come crashing down again the next second. They got along, then they fought, avoided each other, got along again. Made out. Something had genuinely changed between them though on that day when Sasuke had come running to save Naruto. _Again. _The cheesiness nearly made Naruto retch: the prince in shining armor saving the damsel in distress from the bad guy and confessing his–

_Wait a second._ _Did Sasuke… Was he trying to…_

_"Back then, I didn't feel about you the same way I do now!"_

The brunet's words rang out in Naruto's mind and made all kinds of emotions pool in his gut to stew and make him feel queazy. He didn't want to admit it, even though it was plain as day what Sasuke had wanted to say before Naruto's phone had interrupted him.

A sudden jolt ran through Naruto's body and made him jump and gasp when sharp canines pressed against his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut when Kiba's mouth moved against the base of his neck. His fingers curled into the other's coat sleeves as Kiba's canines pricked against his skin, making it burn and tingle. A hand restlessly wandered up and down his back, hot against his skin.

_Why is Sasuke always so cold?_

It was Kiba who pulled away this time, leaving behind a patch of wet skin that immediately turned cold and caused goosebumps to rise on Naruto's skin. The brunet placed a little peck on the blond's nose and stepped away after pulling Naruto's shirt back down again. "Something's bothering you again?"

Sometimes it was scary how easily Kiba could read his mind and understand him. For people like Shikamaru it was a given to be able to read other people easily, but over the months they had become close like this, Naruto had become an open book to the usually slow Inuzuka.

"Yeah." Frowning a little, Naruto couldn't hide his disgruntlement over being so easily found out. He jumped off the desk by himself, Kiba stepping back to give him space. "I have a lot on my mind."

"I noticed." Kiba pressed a last kiss to Naruto's cheek, before stepping away to arrange himself to look less like _I just made out _and more like _I'm a normal student no need to look at me_. "See ya," he called over his shoulder as he left.

At times like this Naruto was somewhat grateful that Kiba just left him alone with his thoughts, knowing exactly what he needed even if Naruto didn't. It was scary.

All of his earlier thoughts seemed to have vanished along with Kiba and for a while, he just stood in the vacant classroom, stared at the messily cleaned blackboard, the dusty floor, the dirty walls. Wondered what life would be like had he not met certain people. What if he had never met Iruka, the first person to ever look at him not with hate and disgust but kindness? Or Sakura, who had found him annoying and stupid at first, but over time become one of his most precious people. If he had never met those two, would he have become like Gaara used to be?

The classroom was becoming too stuffy for him, so Naruto gathered his things and left as well. Just when he stepped out of the room, he was suddenly met with sharp turquoise eyes looking at him. "Gaara?"

The redhead smiled and started to walk beside the blond as he left. "I wonder what you and Kiba-kun were doing in an empty classroom all by yourself for twenty minutes."

Naruto felt like a blush was rapidly spreading from his face to his toes and even to the ends of his hair, a nervous laugh passing his lips as he sheepishly fiddled with his fingers. "J-Just ya know. Talking." He coughed into his fist, unable to look at those amused turquoise eyes.

Beside him Gaara merely hummed in acknowledgement. It was just a hum, but judging from Gaara's expression, it meant so much more. Something along the lines of _I know you two were making out in there, you horny bastard. I'll just save you the embarrassment of saying anything and act like I'm clueless._

Naruto desperately wanted to change to a subject that was less blush-inducing and searched his mind for something. "Ah…" When Gaara turned his head towards him, a small smile still playing along his lips, Naruto stumbled even more over his words and just wanted to die and disintegrate and fly away with the wind in shame. "I mean… ah… um… H-How's your sister doing? And your uh… brother?"

"Temari works in a flower shop somewhere outside Konoha now. There weren't any nice flowers or plants in general where we grew up. I think that's the reason." Gaara seemed a little surprised how easily he could share these things with Naruto, but quickly shook his head with a smile to shake the thought off. It was a given. "And Kankuro is working in a theatre. Not as an actor. He arranges the sets and builds props."

Naruto appreciated Gaara trying to be as social as possible, since he knew that it was still a bit hard for the redhead to converse with other people. He probably could only talk normally to people that he actually trusted. It warmed Naruto's heart that he was one of those. "What about Shukaku?" he inquired, trying to sound as casual as possible. This was a touchy topic after all. Shukaku to Gaara was like Kyuubi to Naruto. Although Shukaku was a genuine murderous freak that had had a huge part in Gaara's downfall back then, whereas Kyuubi… could at least act civil. Naruto now knew that Kyuubi too went around murdering people, just like Shukaku had. Compared to Gaara's relationship to Shukaku though, Naruto's to Kyuubi was nothing but flowers and butterflies. Shukaku was just fucked up. Still, Naruto didn't expect Gaara's answer.

The redhead was silent for quite a while, but Naruto, lost in his thoughts, didn't notice. Gaara's expression did not change at all when he spoke. "He died a few weeks ago."

Naruto stopped walking altogether, watched as Gaara moved on for a bit, then stopped too to turn around and look at him, face still unchanging. The blond wanted to say _I'm sorry_, but also _Congratulations_. _I'm sorry_ because Shukaku had been a constant in Gaara's life just like Kyuubi was in his. _Congratulations _because Shukaku had taken advantage of Gaara's unstable mental state to corrupt him into thinking that the only purpose of his life was to hurt everyone beside himself. It disgusted him.

For a while the two just stood in the hallway. Silently staring at each other. There were no words of comfort needed. Gaara didn't need an _I'm sorry_ or a _Congratulations. _There was no need to ask what had happened. Gaara would tell him if it was necessary.

"I'm about to visit him," the redhead eventually broke the silence. "Come with me."

Although it sounded like an order, to Naruto it sounded more like a plead. He knew that Gaara didn't need words of comfort. He just needed Naruto. He smiled and nodded, didn't say anything, just followed Gaara as they left.

"Kyuubi will probably be there."

This instantly wiped the smile off of Naruto's face, the teen suddenly unsure what to think. He would be seeing Kyuubi again. After so many weeks.

Why would Kyuubi be with Shukaku anyway? From what Naruto had seen, those two were mortal enemies. He suddenly remembered Hachibi again, that they had met once a long time ago. He had talked about Kyuubi and Shukaku, said something like _A fox and a tanuki matching their cleverness _and then laughed. Naruto hadn't understood back then and still didn't.

Kyuubi had once been like Shukaku. Trying to always coax him into doing bad things, but Naruto had always ignored it and waved it off as Kyuubi joking. Sometimes though, he felt like giving in to Kyuubi's words. Just destroy everything, erase everything that hurt him. But he hadn't given in. He wasn't as cocky as to say that he was stronger than Gaara for never giving in. Life had just played out differently for them.

Still, he didn't know what to expect. What if memories came back that showed him another side of Kyuubi? A side he didn't want to be confronted with? What if it showed him a side of _himself_ he didn't want to be confronted with?

What if Kyuubi was actually worse than Shukaku and he only hadn't noticed?

* * *

><p>Why this early update? I don't know. I felt like it. I was kissed by a muse. Despite continuously falling asleep on the couch after coming home from school I got sudden bursts of inspiration around midnight. Decide on your own, cause I don't even know.<p>

I know that a lot of people weren't able to leave reviews on the last chapter(s) because I deleted a few chapters and chapter numbers got messed up, so I hope you could add your opinion on them in a review on this chapter or in an earlier one if you wanted to leave any. I'm also curious about what your guesses were concerning the entrance of this mysterious person aka Gaara in the last chapter.

…

Somehow I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter. Some parts are… awkward. But I'm too lazy to change them herp derp. But the next chapter, guys. The next chapter… I can't even… I'm gonna screw with your minds. Prepare for some major mindfuck.

Next chapter: Bottomless Ocean

**SPOILER WARNING**: The next chapter will contain what I consider spoilers. Mainly information on certain characters and some hinted things that could spoil the plot for you. I'd suggest reading the manga until the most recent battle before continuing.

– Murasaki B


	32. Bottomless Ocean

Hey… Long time no see. I kind of put this story on a little hiatus. You're getting a long-ass chapter in exchange. See, there were things I had to do. Like _graduating _and dealing with my last day of school _ever. _Preparing a presentation I was supposed to work on for three or four months and only seriously started the day before the actual exam. It's part of what decides my average grade at graduation. I totally aced it, by the way. Other things I had to do included planning what I will be doing with my life. Now I know what I want to do. Yep. I'm gonna become a game designer. And I found the perfect school. I nearly died. I wanted to move in.

**Important announcement**: "How to ace exams and graduate with the least amount of effort possible", a book by Murasaki B. In stores as soon as I stop procrastinating… Which means never.

Now seriously…

**WARNING**: This chapter contains spoilers for manga chapters. If you haven't read up to at least chapter 570, expect to get a big fat spoiler slapped in your face.

I'm starting to want to ship Naruto with _everyone_. Not just with Sasuke and Kiba, but also Shikamaru, Kakashi, Gaara and Sai. I would include a bit of ShikaNaru if Shikamaru wasn't already meant to be just a friend to Naruto. Gaara in this story is there as support so far, just like Sai and Kakashi. I still want to ship him with everyone…

I've started replying to all reviews again, by the way. I used to only reply to reviews with actual questions, but now I'm going to reply to everything. That is, as long as it's more than "Update soon" or "3" (you know, cause the less-than sign doesn't show up on FFN). I completely forgot how fun it is, so I'm glad I'm back to doing that.

_Raiko_, my ringtone has been set to _SPY_ for a long time and I don't think it's gonna change anytime soon. It was _Ring Ding Dong_ before. Imagine all the lulz it caused whenever someone called me.

Lately, I've been obsessed with "Twinkle" by SNSD and "The Heretic Anthem" by Slipknot… That combination just goes to show that I'm slowly losing my mind to exams, projects and general pre-graduation school shit.

Also, I just noticed that I kept listening to _Lie To Me_ by RED while writing this and it just fits this chapter _so_ beautifully I can't even

…

It's pretty obvious that I hang around on tumblr a lot, isn't it…

Okay…

EDIT: I'm writing my Abitur exams _right now _and have been forced to stop procrastinating. A little. I've started studying later than I planned and haven't been doing anything else for days. I get up, write, study, take breaks, then go to sleep. Rinse and repeat. My brain feels as if it's gradually expanding until it'll make my head explode. I'm slowly going insane. Sometimes, I do that little manic laugh. I don't complain anymore, I just laugh. I think my mom's scared of me now.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXII<span>  
><span>– Bottomless Ocean –<span>

"Bye!" Sakura waved at Ino as they parted ways after spending some time together in Ayame's Café. She had wanted to go with Naruto, but he had disappeared once their last period of the day had ended. Just like Kiba. It wasn't new to her though. Those two clung together like rice. All she could ever do was huff angrily, although deep down she was happy to see Naruto having a close friend besides her. That he chose Kiba over her most of the time annoyed her of course, but she understood. At least she tried to. After all, she also had other friends besides Naruto like Ino. And Ino still needed her to vent a bit. Like Shikamaru and Chouji, the blonde too was still in the process of dealing with Asuma's death. It hadn't been long after all.

Walking past a convenience store, Sakura suddenly realized that her mother had asked her to bring a new bag of rice since they were out of rice. Just the thought of her mother angry made her cringe, so she quickly rushed into the store and headed for the back where she knew the shelfs with rice were. Just when she pulled out the usual brand they always had, a mop of raven hair caught her eye and she paused for a second. Hastily, she grabbed the rice and walked up to the other.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she happily greeted the other teen standing in the colorful vegetable section.

He briefly lifted his head to look at her, then returned to his vegetables. "Hello, Sakura."

"What are you getting?" Sakura inquired casually, trying to have a little small talk. Sasuke had seemed a little lonely lately, staying away from their group during breaks, Naruto not even arguing with him anymore. It pained her, especially since Naruto, Sasuke and her had once been their own little tight-knit group. She missed those times.

Sasuke didn't seem as keen on small talk as Sakura, but didn't blow her off immediately, which was a good sign. "Just tomatoes." He turned away from the brightly lit vegetable display once he had his four tomatoes and stalked away, not even caring if Sakura followed him or not. She would follow even if he told her not to.

"I just remembered that my mom told me to bring a new bag of rice," Sakura explained her presence in the store. "You should see her when she's angry. She starts looking at you as if her glare could turn you into stone. She doesn't yell, just turns really serious on you." The girl visibly shivered, the bag in her arms slipping a little when she didn't pay attention. She rebalanced the heavy bag and shot a glance at the silent Sasuke. She knew he had heard her and him not giving any kind of response was normal behavior. He talked the most when Naruto was around. Sakura had gotten used to it.

Something was off though.

Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was wrong with Sasuke. He seemed even more serious than usual, he talked even less than usual, seemed distracted somehow. He just seemed even more withdrawn than usual. It had been like that for a while now, but Sakura had just thought it was because of Sasuke changing in general. It reminded her of the way Naruto had suddenly started to change until the Naruto she knew had disappeared. She had never questioned what exactly had triggered Naruto's memories to come back so suddenly. None of them had. Everyone was just glad he was back, afraid that questioning the how and why would make him disappear again.

"Sasuke-kun…"

The quietly mumbled call hung in the air with tension and Sasuke noticed. He finally turned around to glance at the girl, fixing her with a stare.

Sakura's once lowered eyes connected with Sasuke's, worry lining her features. "Is something wrong?"

The brunet's eyes briefly flicked down to notice the pink-haired girl nervously nibbling at her elbow as her hold on the bag of rice tightened. He knew it was her nervous habit, fumbling at her arm. He had seen her do that whenever she had talked to an unstable Naruto, but never when she talked to him. "You meddle too much." He smirked at her, turning back around and just heading for the cash register.

Behind him, Sakura was rooted in place. She watched the other casually walk away, that smirk burned into her mind. It wasn't just his usual smirk. The one he gave Naruto when they fought, the one he showed when he was being cocky. There was something else. Something sinister.

Sakura snapped out of her daze and hastily rushed after the brunet. She caught up with him at the cash register, just in time to stand behind him in line. Seeing his back turned towards her, she suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. Something was happening with Sasuke. "Something is wrong," she dead-panned, staring at Sasuke's broad back as he laid his plump red tomatoes on the humming conveyor belt.

"You're still annoying, Sakura. Even after all this time."

Pressing her lips together, clenching and unclenching her fists, Sakura's eyes suddenly became tired. "Sasuke-kun… If you do something, I'll–"

"What?" Sasuke hissed, turning around to bore his eyes into those mint green ones. "You'll tell on me? Go to the police? _Scream_?"

The look in Sasuke's eyes scared Sakura, frightened her to the core. The Sasuke she knew was gone. All she could find was anger, bitterness and something she couldn't identify. Something she didn't even _want_ to identify. "I know what happened to your family," she suddenly whispered, aware that there were people around them. "But with revenge you won't be able to make anyone happy. Not your family, not your late parents, not even yourself. All you will do is ruin everything you have built up until now. Are you just going to throw all that away, Sasuke-kun?" She was aware of the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. Not even with that glare directed at her. Even though she felt as if Sasuke hated her right now.

"That's fifty-four ryou," the cashier cut in, pointedly staring at Sasuke.

The brunet slowly turned around and handed the grumpy cashier the money. He was motionless as he waited for his change, the sound of glistening coins shifting in the till unbearably loud all of a sudden. "Thank you."

Sakura didn't even notice Sasuke taking his money. All she could see was Sasuke's retreating back as he made to leave. Leave to where neither she nor anyone else could reach him. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she quickly followed him.

"Miss!"

The pink-haired girl stopped in her tracks, remembering what she had come for. She couldn't even hear the cashier and glanced at the little monitor on the till to see how much money she had to leave to be able to follow Sasuke before it was too late. Her fingers trembled as she sifted through her purse, barely able to pick out the right ones. She hastily threw them onto the counter, grabbed her bag of rice and stormed away with tears in her eyes. Maybe it wasn't too late yet. Maybe she could still get to him, still reach him in time.

But when she passed the sliding doors of the store and found herself on the bustling street, there was no brunet in sight among the people. No onyx eyes glaring ahead, no jet-black hair, no Sasuke.

Sakura couldn't stop the tears from escaping her eyes now. She felt her legs giving up on her, but forced herself to at least stand upright. Still, she couldn't stop her hands from trembling as she tried to grab her phone from her bag after setting down the heavy bag of rice. The tears were blurring her sight, which made dialing a number a near impossible task. Her eyes kept darting around, trying to find Sasuke even though she knew he was gone. Eventually, she managed to connect the call and nervously held her phone against her ear, pressing her lips together to stop the sobs. She counted the seconds, flinched each time when all she heard was the beeping of the dial tone.

_"Sakura-chan?"_

Sakura sobbed out a small relieved laugh, knowing she probably looked like a mess to everyone walking past her. "Naruto…"

* * *

><p>"Gaara?" Naruto sounded timid and he knew it. He couldn't help himself though, what with the sudden silence around them. Silence in a forest was not normal. Silence in a forest was abnormal and creepy. Gaara didn't seem to notice or mind the silence though, which calmed the blond a little. Naruto knew the redhead had heard him even though he didn't show any signs of ever acknowledging him. He walked a bit faster to catch up and fall in step with Gaara. "Can you answer me honestly when I ask you something about Shukaku?"<p>

Gaara finally connected his gaze with Naruto's, eyes glaring straight at the jumpy blond. He obviously wanted to say _No_, but when he averted his face again to stare ahead, he nodded anyway.

Naruto scratched his head for a second, nervous as he tried to word the question that had been nagging him ever since they had left school nearly an hour ago and driven the bus heading to some remote place outside Konoha. "Have you ever tried to justify Shukaku killing people?"

Again, Gaara didn't even seemed to have heard the question, but Naruto could see that he was thinking about it. That this was something he had to talk about just as much as Naruto. "I never questioned it," he eventually provided quietly, his head dropping a little. "I grew up knowing him like that. People dying around me was normal and I never thought of it as strange. Until I met you, that is."

For the first time since they had left, Naruto saw Gaara smile again, which sent a smile of his own onto the blond's face.

"Still," The smile on Gaara's face faded a little, "for the longest time Shukaku was my only support. He was the only one I had. Or so I thought." It still showed on the redhead's face that the way he had treated his family pained him. You don't just threaten to kill your brother and sister on a daily basis for years and become a happy family immediately once you change. "I didn't want to admit it, but he really… wasn't good for me. It took a while until I could accept that he never actually cared about me and just used me."

All Naruto could do was nod in acknowledgement, knowing there was nothing he could say. Everything that had to be said had been said three years ago.

"You try to justify Kyuubi killing people, don't you?"

The words made Naruto's insides churn, made his fingers tremble, his breath catch. Just like Shukaku for Gaara, Kyuubi had been his only support in life before he had met his precious people. Kyuubi had been his everything. He had always known that there was something not so normal about the redhead, but him possibly being the kind of guy that went around town and killed off people to satisfy some kind of urge was something he had never even wanted to fathom. "Kyuubi said that all he ever feels is hate," Naruto mumbled quietly, staring at the forest ground. "That he would go insane if he didn't kill." His eyebrows pulled together into a frown as he remembered that day, the way Kyuubi had talked, the way he had looked talking about murdering people. "Even though he's put me through so much pain… I feel sorry for him. I just wish I could help him." The pain in his eyes betrayed the smile that suddenly formed on Naruto's face. "I know it's probably really stupid and naive of me. Wanting to help someone that ruined my life."

Now it was Gaara watching the blond staring at the ground intently. He just observed the blond for a while, silently, and eventually averted his attention back to random trees. "Maybe you can."

The smile vanished from Naruto's face as he looked at Gaara casually looking at trees and the occasional bird as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Unlike Shukaku, Kyuubi actually cares about you to some extent. Otherwise he would have hurt or killed you before."

"You think someone like him not hurting or killing you is kindness?"

Gaara suddenly smirked and released a curt chuckle. "I'd dare say so."

_"You're no different to other people for me._ _It's just that… you're the only person I'd regret killing."_

Naruto didn't know if he should smile or cry. Didn't know if he should be happy or devastated. Didn't know if facing Kyuubi was the right thing now. He knew nothing. Kyuubi knew everything about him, yet Naruto didn't know a thing about Kyuubi. He didn't know what it was that made Kyuubi the way he was. How could he possibly think of helping someone he didn't know anything about? It was ridiculous.

"About what they said earlier…" Naruto suddenly found himself asking. "I think I heard them say something about a mental hospital." The expression on his face was dark. Eyes hooded and lips set in a straight line. "They put you in a mental hospital?"

Gaara was still watching trees and birds, making it seem like this was just a walk in the forest. Two friends walking in the forest. But it wasn't. "Yes. For two years."

A small _Hm_ came from Naruto as a response.

"It was very…"

Naruto decided to let go of his negative feelings, especially seeing the way Gaara was fighting with himself. It wasn't fair to let out his frustration about himself on the redhead. "What?" he asked, eyes brightening again, his expression much kinder again as he tried to seem reassuring to the redhead when he looked at him.

Gaara's eyes were still trained on the nature around them. His head lowered just a tiny bit. "Stressful." His eyes finally parted from the view of trees and flowers when he averted his face to stare straight ahead. "I stayed in a detention center for a while. No one believed that I had changed from one day to the other. I think they were waiting for a chance to put me into hospital all along, especially when my father was dead and could not interfere anymore. I didn't think it was necessary and neither did Temari or Kankuro, but it was the only option, otherwise they would have kept me in that detention center forever. It wasn't a nice detention center."

A small chuckle left Naruto, although this wasn't anything to laugh about. With Gaara it was though. Somehow.

"Perhaps they jumped in triangles when they heard I stopped attacking everyone in sight, so they immediately put me in that detention center. And later in that hospital. That hospital wasn't nice either."

"Too many white walls?"

"Too many _filthy_ white walls. Everything was a mess. The walls were so thin, you could hear people screaming at night."

Another chuckle left Naruto, who was relieved that those two years didn't seem to have had that much of a negative effect on Gaara. With what he had been going through before, two years away from people must have been a breather, even if it had had the potential to easily break other people. Before Naruto could comment, Gaara cut him off.

"We're there."

Naruto immediately stopped walking, eyeing the area they were in. There were trees. But nothing else. "Gaara–"

"Follow me."

Naruto huffed indignantly, but followed the other teen nonetheless when he walked towards an especially tight cluster of trees, the gaps between each tree just wide enough for them to squeeze through. They went deeper and deeper, Naruto sometimes finding the air being squeezed out of his lungs or his arms or legs catching on something. The further they went, the darker it got. Soon, darkness engulfed them completely, not even a tiny speck of sunlight peaking through the canopies. The only thing guiding Naruto was the sound of Gaara's movements in front of him. He had to feel his way forward.

They kept going like this for what felt like hours to Naruto, but was actually just a few minutes. Without Gaara, he probably would have gotten lost and never found back out. Just when he was about to question the redhead's sense of direction, he could see a sliver of red light peaking through a few tree trunks. He rushed towards the light, already feeling way too claustrophobic with all the trees encasing him and feeling as if they were holding him back, as if trying to keep him in the darkness.

Naruto stumbled out of the woodwork with a gasp and cough, nearly kissing the forest ground if Gaara hadn't grabbed his arm and stopped him from falling. "Thanks," he mumbled as he straightened up with Gaara's help. He didn't immediately recognize the figure sitting on what looked to be a tall rock, but when he did, every single muscle in his body tensed up.

_Kyuubi_.

Teeth chattering, legs feeling unusually weak, Naruto felt as if a double-edged sword pierced right through his middle when those ruby red eyes connected with his. Something of a choked gasp left him and he realized that every cell in his body was paralyzed. Naruto took in a sharp breath when a hand came down on his shoulder. When he looked, Gaara was staring at him with those turquoise eyes. All the redhead did was giving the blond's shoulder a clap, before heading towards the randomly placed rocks. Upon further investigation, Naruto realized that those weren't just gray rocks, but seven tombstones. And Kyuubi was literally sitting on one with one leg pulled up.

"What are you doing?" Gaara suddenly inquired, facing Kyuubi now.

Naruto couldn't see the look on the redhead's face since his back was turned to him, but his feeling told him that Gaara was angry.

"What does it look like, you little runt?" the taller redhead shot back, seeming unimpressed.

"You're sitting on Shukaku's tombstone."

A deep, slow chuckle originated from within Kyuubi's chest, a sly smirk widening on his face. "So?" There was a glint in his eyes. Challenging. Dangerous.

Murderous.

Naruto was genuinely worried about his friend. There was not a single person on this earth that could take on Kyuubi. At least he couldn't imagine it. "G-Gaara–"

"I buried him, you know." Kyuubi jumped off of the tombstone, circling it, his eyes leaving Gaara's to glare at it. His hands disappeared in the pockets of his long black coat. "This asinine cretin," he spat, kicking the stone. Whatever he saw on Gaara's face apparently amused him. "I buried all of them."

The panic Naruto had started to feel ever since Gaara approached Kyuubi still lingered. Even when Naruto slowly closed in on the two. With every step he made, he became stiffer. With every breath he took, the closing distance to Kyuubi became less and less bearable. As if Kyuubi was emitting flames and he was burning himself by coming closer. With every inch he was closer to Kyuubi, he could make out more and more changes in his appearance. His paler skin, his messier hair, his even redder eyes. Had his canines always been that pointy?

"You don't understand," Kyuubi hissed, slowly inching closer towards Gaara. "You're just some little runt that doesn't know _anything_."

Naruto suddenly feared he wouldn't be able to make it in time. He couldn't move faster. Couldn't move at all suddenly.

"Do you think you understand anything at all? Are you really such an obtuse fool to think that?"

The Kyuubi Naruto knew was gone.

All he saw next were those murderous eyes.

Everything was a blur.

And suddenly, those blood-red eyes were right in front of him, looking at him with so much hate he could have drowned in it.

Heart pounding in his chest, he moved forward in an instant and wrapped his arms around the much taller man before he could react, burying his face in the broad chest. He heard a low growl, could feel it in Kyuubi's chest.

"Naruto." There was so much venom in that low snarl.

Wrapping his arms even tighter around the other, Naruto clenched his eyes shut, knowing well that he was shaking like a leaf, the only thing holding him the body he was hugging, Kyuubi his only support. He faintly heard his name being quietly called by Gaara behind him, but the warmth of Kyuubi's body seemed to encase him, seemed to shut everything else out.

Hands suddenly harshly clamped around his shoulders. Nails dug painfully deep into his skin. Something came down on his head. Kyuubi's forehead.

"Naruto." There was no hate in that call anymore. No venom, no anger. Just his name.

"If you want to kill Gaara… you need to kill me first." Naruto's voice was but a shaky whisper, yet he knew Kyuubi was able to hear the determination in his voice. "I won't let you do this anymore."

Again, another chuckle. This time it sounded genuinely amused. "You're so naive. I'm a living mass of malevolence, Naruto."

Naruto tensed a little, knowing this had a meaning beyond what he could comprehend. The weight on top of his head suddenly left and Naruto dared to look up, terrified of what he would see.

"Standing up to me like that," Kyuubi mumbled, shaking his head as he stared at the tombstone to his right. "Even using my weakness against me."

Slowly, Naruto let go of the redhead again, assured now that he wouldn't attack Gaara anymore. "Your weakness?" Naruto nearly stopped breathing when a smile curled Kyuubi's lips. A genuine one. Small, but genuine.

Kyuubi lifted one hand from Naruto's shoulder to finger a strand of the blond's bangs between his fingers. "_You_, you brat," he chuckled. "If you're not strong, just be smarter." Kyuubi grinned as he said that, seeming as if recalling something from long ago. "Some guy said that to me once. Tried to outsmart me." His grin became a little malicious. "What a dolt." He let go of Naruto's hair and dropped his other hand from the blond's shoulder as well. The air around him changed again. Seemed to stand still. "I killed him. Chopped his head off. He didn't even last ten seconds."

Again, that same cold claw wrapped around Naruto's hammering heart and squeezed. The claw that had gripped his heart back in the hospital while talking to Kyuubi. Feeling a chuckle bubble up from his throat despite the cold engulfing his chest, Naruto weakly hit the redhead's broad chest with his clenched fist. "I don't get you," he whispered, voice breaking, his fist continuously punching the other's chest. "I don't know what to do." His fist suddenly stopped, resting over Kyuubi's heart. Naruto let his fingers uncurl, only to grip the material of the redhead's dark shirt. He wondered if there was anything that could make that heart beneath his hand race. If there was anything that could make Kyuubi happy, could make him sad. If there was anything that could make him feel something besides hate.

After trying to find answers to those questions, but of course finding none, Naruto let his hand drop again and turned around to face Gaara. The other merely glared at him for a moment, searching his features, then headed off to kneel down in front of Shukaku's grave. Naruto could feel Kyuubi's eyes watching him from behind and slowly walked towards the middle of the makeshift graveyard where no tombstones blocked the way. He sat down with his back to Kyuubi, deciding to simply wait for Gaara to finish what he had come for so they could leave again. He just couldn't look at Kyuubi anymore.

Now that everything was fairly calm again, Naruto actually took the time to look at his surroundings. The awfully long grass surrounding him like an ocean of emerald blades, the canopies high above him letting only tiny rays of light peak through. The trees surrounding the area seemed to just stop at an invisible circular border, not even roots disturbing the ground. It was a peaceful, yet eery place.

Suddenly, Naruto felt warmth pressing against his back. The fact that Kyuubi had made no sound at all approaching him didn't even surprise him. The redhead making absolutely no sound while moving was something he had gotten used to over the years. Staring at the dark bark of a tree in front of him, Naruto felt the much taller man shift against his back, a head dropping on top of his. He relaxed a little into the body behind him, seeing Gaara out of the corner of his eyes, just silently sitting as if meditating.

They sat like that for a while. The silence around them slightly suffocating, not even a bug in sight. It finally occurred to Naruto that the entire time he had been here, not a single animal had crossed their path. No bird, no bug, not even an ant.

Gaara suddenly got up slowly and walked towards the blond. "I'm done here. I'll wait outside." Expression unchanging, he made to leave.

"But–"

"Don't worry about finding your way outside," the redhead cut him off as he stopped to look at Naruto, knowing what the blond was worrying about. "It's difficult finding inside, but rather easy to get out. You'll see what I mean when you'll try." His blank expression finally broke up into a small smile he sent the blond, Gaara beginning to walk away and disappearing into the woodwork.

Naruto was a little uneasy to be left alone with Kyuubi, but couldn't help but feel content with the warmth of the other's body against his back, seeping into his body and soothing any discomfort. He had missed the redhead, that he had to admit. Without Gaara bringing him here, he probably wouldn't have had the guts to face him again though. And being alone with him still seemed disturbing.

"Everyone dies a long time before me."

The other's murmured words reverberated through his chest and into Naruto's, the vibrations of Kyuubi's voice carrying on to the blond who's attention shifted to the redhead's solemn voice.

"I keep coming back here to bury them each time. First it was Kokuo, then Chomei. Even Matatabi that bastard didn't hold out. It just keeps going on. And now it's only me and Gyuuki."

The words filled Naruto with a sense of dread. Hearing of _them_ dying one after another, Kyuubi being one of two last, made it suddenly seem as if there was an expiration date to Kyuubi. As if he was bound to vanish any time. End up being one of those graves they were surrounded by.

"And _Shukaku_…" Kyuubi chuckled, although there was no humor in his voice, "that boorish fool. Never believed me when I told him I would last the longest. Kept going on rampages. What a blood-hungry bastard. Couldn't even control himself a bit. No self-restraint at all." Another empty chuckle echoed from his chest, this time somewhat high-pitched with a manic undertone. "I knew he'd end up like this all along."

Although wind was ruffling the leaves of the trees around them, no breeze reached them. The grass didn't move an inch.

"Fools. All of them."

Naruto found himself taking the words in, but feeling no desire to say anything in return. To him it didn't seem like Kyuubi wanted him to comment on any of what he said either. The blond relished in the following silence only a little while, before something clicked in his mind. "_Kyuubi_ isn't your real name, is it?" Naruto knew the man began to smile even without seeing it.

"It's just the name I was given since people didn't care enough to ask me for my real name."

"Will you tell me your real name?" Genuine curiosity made Naruto turn his head around slightly. He felt the redhead shrug against him.

"Depends."

"On what?" Naruto didn't miss the pause as Kyuubi seemed to drift away a little. He knew that he probably didn't want to hear the answer. Talking to Kyuubi lately always ended up with some crushing revelation being made.

"How you'll react," Kyuubi eventually mumbled quietly.

The blond's eyebrows pulled together into a questioning glare, Naruto turning around more and more now. "React to what?"

It seemed as if the air around the two shifted. Tightened, swirled, weighed down on both of them.

"The fact that I killed your parents."

Suddenly, the air dissolved, leaving nothing but an empty void.

"I really wasn't intending to, which is a rare thing. Kushina was bothersome since she always locked me up in that darn prison of a house, but other than that, I really had no reason to murder her or Minato."

There was a silence that neither felt like interrupting. Naruto because he didn't know what to say and Kyuubi because he was probably thinking of ways to make Naruto even more miserable.

The man seemed completely unfazed by his earlier statement and the lack of reaction on Naruto's part. "I can't tell you any details because I don't remember much from that night myself. I only know that when Kushina gave birth to you, I went a little nuts from being kept inside for so long. All I remember clearly… is feeling… bad after killing them both." Kyuubi lowered his head, leaning away from the blond just a little bit. "I felt no satisfaction at all after they were dead. I can't say I regretted killing them, only that I had no intention to."

"So that's how it was."

The words genuinely surprised Kyuubi, who turned his head a little even though he couldn't see Naruto's expression. "What? You're just accepting it? No _You're a monster_ or _I'll never forgive you_?"

"I just… can't be mad at you. Not anymore. There was a time, long ago, when I really hated you with all my heart. Once I figured out that people treated me badly because of you, I just… put all the blame on you and hated you. But I always ended up coming back to you asking for help and advice. I already knew that we had some weird kind of relationship where I kept coming back to you even though I hated you and you probably hated me too."

"I still hate you, Naruto. But I used to hate you a lot more."

Somewhere deep down Naruto had known all along. There was no kindness to be expected coming from Kyuubi. Even his rare actions of supposed kindness were probably only a front or occurred on a whim and never happened because he actually cared. That's what Naruto assumed at least. "Why?" Naruto found himself asking.

"Because in my eyes, you were a snotty brat that didn't know what hate and miseryreally was. But seeing you grow up and still coming back to me… I started hating you a little less. At some point I had to admit that you really had reasons to hate humans they way I do as well. You understand me."

Ever since finding out who his real parents were, Naruto had wanted to know what had happened to them, had wanted to know who their murderer was. Now that he knew it had been Kyuubi, someone who constantly felt the urge to kill him, Naruto still found himself able to forgive him. He didn't know why. All he knew for certain was that somewhere deep down, he cared for the crazy redhead.

* * *

><p>Pain pounded in waves from within his skull, a pain powerful enough to make him collapse against the wall next to him, his sight blurred. An anguished grunt left him despite himself as he pressed a hand against his face. Still covering his face with his hand, he attempted to stand up again, head still pounding.<p>

The street light next to him began to flicker all of a sudden, plunging him into darkness every few seconds. He watched as it struggled to stay lit every few seconds, as if struggling for life, only to give out completely after a while, leaving him in the darkness.

Only now he felt the wetness against his hand. Upon taking his hand away from his face, even in the darkness he could see the glistening of blood smeared all over his palm. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to move forward. He was nearly there and he was about to run out of time. If he didn't do it now, he soon wouldn't be able to anymore.

His sheer will carried him forward. Carried him towards the place he knew the person he was searching for was strolling around, blissfully oblivious.

He knew the man was weakened. He had to use that chance.

To end it all.

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't quite enjoy silence when being with Kyuubi. It always reminded him that there were still a thousand unasked questions floating around. He grabbed a few strands of grass from beside him, nervously nibbling them apart. "What were the others like?" he wanted to know, although he had no idea who <em>the others<em> even were.

Another chuckle shook Kyuubi's form, something akin to amusement in his voice this time. "Freaks," he murmured, chuckling again. "I barely got along with them. I'm pretty sure they all hated me. And you already know what Shukaku was like. Gyuuki hates me as well, but I can talk to him without him trying to attack me."

"Were they like you?"

Although Naruto didn't say it, Kyuubi knew what that question was supposed to mean. "Shukaku, of course. Matatabi was a pyromaniac and Son hated people in general, like me. Don't know about the others. I don't think so."

"So why did you get along with… Gyuuki so much?"

"He used to be exactly like me. Now he's… tamed, I guess."

"Then why are you like this? Why can't you become like that too?"

"I already told you."

A sudden anger rushed through the blond, causing a frown to mar his calm expression. "People aren't just there for you to kill, Kyuubi!"

"Then what do you want me to do, huh?" the redhead yelled from behind the teen. "Turn myself in? _Kill_ myself?"

"N-No…" Naruto could feel the raw anger emitted by Kyuubi, could feel it surrounding him now.

"Then _what_? Tell me what I should do and I'll stop." Kyuubi's speech became softer, yet it didn't lose its edge of rage. "I've _tried_ to hold back! I've _tried_ to suppress this urge. And look where it got me! The only place I can be without going nuts is a graveyard! Am I supposed to never leave this place?"

Shutting his mouth and pressing his lips together, Naruto pulled his knees to his chest and let his forehead drop on top. "I don't know, Kyuubi." He knew his voice was shaky, but he didn't care. Kyuubi knew how he felt either way.

"In case it makes you feel better, I avoid going after people around your age." Kyuubi was still oozing anger, although it was slowly dissipating. "Just in case it's someone you might know."

Naruto lifted his head from his knees, stared down at the tall grass in front of him, tried to find some kind of solution to all this. He knew if he commented on that last statement, Kyuubi would immediately deny acting out of kindness and find some other reasoning. "How was Gyuuki tamed?"

Kyuubi calmed down now. He took a deep breath, leaning back against Naruto again. "There was this guy that kept annoying him. Nearly got himself killed each time he got Gyuuki mad, which happened a lot. Somehow though…" Kyuubi trailed off, seeming as if lost in his train of thoughts. Seeming as if coming to some sort of realization. "Somehow that guy ended up changing Gyuuki."

Naruto now had no idea what Kyuubi was thinking. He couldn't feel anything coming from the other. Maybe Kyuubi had decided not to talk to him anymore. The thought somehow unsettled Naruto. "I want to help you, Kyuubi." Naruto couldn't stop himself from smiling as he thought of how futile all this seemed to be. "And you're probably right about me being extremely naive." There was something about Kyuubi he would never understand, he knew that. Still, he couldn't just give him up. "But somehow… you've always been with me. Like a parent. Even though you probably didn't like doing it, you kept… watching over me." Letting his head drop back against Kyuubi's back, Naruto smiled. "I just wish… you could stay."

Kyuubi did not say anything for a long time after that. Again, he sat motionless behind Naruto, seeming to not even breathe. As if time had stopped only for him, as if everything around him had ceased. "I never thought I'd fall so far that a little child could influence me," he suddenly mumbled, barely audible. "But I guess you could try."

The sudden response breaking the silence made Naruto's eyes shoot open, breath catching in his throat. His initial shock vanished only slowly, before a smile formed on his face. "Sure," he chuckled, feeling warmth engulf him again. "You're part of my family after all." He heard Kyuubi laugh quietly behind him, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his tired shoulders.

"Kurama."

"What?"

"My name."

Naruto couldn't help but snicker when he could clearly hear the discomfort in Kyuubi's name, as if the name was foreign even to him.

"Don't ever dare call me that, got it?"

"I wouldn't."

Although everything seemed to be back to normal, Naruto knew that for him and Kyuubi there would never be _normal_. Their relationship just wasn't made out to be full of understanding and trust and gentleness. All Naruto could see between them was mutual understanding and something that kept drawing them together. Something neither understood.

"Is the Uchiha bothering you again?"

Naruto would have expected another period of silence, but _nooooo_, Kyuubi suddenly had to talk. "He's…" In an instant, the blond's expression darkened, teeth clenching, eyebrows pulling together. "I don't know how to explain."

"Try me," Kyuubi replied, resting his entire weight against Naruto now, who could only huff in response.

Sighing, Naruto suddenly remembered his nightmare from a few days ago. Those cold empty eyes, that sick grin. The way Sasuke had been devoured by corpses, by his own hate and need for revenge. Naruto now understood that dream more than ever. "I don't know what to do. And I'm really scared. I don't know if I _should_ worry or not." Thinking back to his last encounter had Naruto blushing once again, but the fear that had lingered in the back of his mind ever since that nightmare quickly had it die down. "It's like he's sinking into a bottomless ocean and the deeper he gets the harder it is to reach him. I feel like at some point… he'll sink so deep I can't reach him at all… and he'll drown." Naruto could hear Kyuubi ripping out grass from the ground and doing the same he had been minutes before, nibbling pieces apart.

"Call up Itachi."

"Itachi?" It took Naruto a while to recognize the name, his memory hazy. Then dark eyes and a stern face came to mind. "Sasuke's brother? He can help?"

"He should be able to," Kyuubi provided, seeming distracted as he fumbled at his pieces of grass. "Uchiha are like that."

The thought hadn't occurred to Naruto so far. Confronting Sasuke directly wouldn't get him anywhere right now with all the tension and muddled feelings. The only person that could help him at this point was the last family Sasuke had left. Maybe Naruto really was just overreacting and Sasuke was just going through some phase. He couldn't possibly have been serious when he had talked about his revenge. When he had started choking Naruto, he probably had been confused. Maybe he had been lost in memories of the past. It happened to Naruto too. He understood. Memories probably had sparked that glint in his eyes that had terrified Naruto. There was probably some explanation to all this. It would probably take some time, but with some input from Itachi, everything would be fine again. And then Naruto could deal with his messed up feelings and find out what was going on between Sasuke and him. Then him, Sasuke and Sakura could go back to hanging out, to Sasuke complaining about them dragging him to Ayame's Café to eat ice cream, but eventually eating with them anyway. Back to the banter between the two rivals. Back to evenings with all of their friends huddled together in someone's house to watch movies. Back to their guy nights when they would all sleep in the same room and laugh and play and fight. Back to being friends.

Everything would be fine again.

The buzzing in his pocket slowly dragged Naruto away from those memories that always brought him that warm fuzzy feeling. Back to the cold reality. He released a dragged out sigh as he reached into his coat to pull out his phone and briefly glanced at the monitor to see the caller ID, before taking the call. "Sakura-chan?" All he could hear for a while was a weird choking noise and shaky breathing. "Sakura-chan?" he tried again, sitting up straighter now. "What's wrong?"

_"Naruto…"_

A confused and worried frown formed on Naruto's face as he heard the tremor in the girl's voice. The blond had to fight down the anxiety creeping up on him. "Sakura-chan, what happened?"

There was some sniffling and the intake of a deep breath on the other line. _"Sasuke-kun… Something's wrong."_

Naruto could hear Sakura's desperation, the severe disturbance. He suddenly feared her every word.

_"I think… I think he…"_ Another shuddering intake of air. _"I think he's going to kill someone."_

The phone nearly slipped out of Naruto's fingers as the words hit him like a crashing wave that swept over him and destroyed everything in its wake.

_"I don't know where he is, Naruto."_

Naruto couldn't breathe, couldn't understand, couldn't wrap his head around Sasuke becoming the thing of his nightmare.

_"We need to find him!"_

The blond jumped to his feet so fast his vision went black for a second, his entire body feeling as if tipping over as the ground beneath him seemed to move. Once his vision cleared, he shifted his attention back to his friend who's sanity seemed to be deteriorating. Just like his.

_"Naruto!"_

"I get it, Sakura-chan." Although his heart was thumping painfully hard against his ribs, although breathing seemed painful, although a cold shell seemed to enclose him, Naruto sounded calm and reassuring. There was no tremor to his voice. No fear in his eyes. Only the beginnings of a flame being lit. "I'll find him."

_I'll stop him_.

There was some sniffling on the other line, before Sakura sounded composed again. _"Right,"_ she breathed, voice steadier now. _"We'll find him." _She went silent again to take a few more calming breaths. _"I'm in front of the store next to Ayame's Café. I'll search for him from here. You try finding him wherever you think he could be, okay?"_

"Yeah."

Silenced suddenly stretched out between the two, the only sound a static noise crackling in their line. Once again it occurred to Naruto that there seemed to be no sound at all in this place that only he and Kyuubi occupied. As if time had stopped in this place.

_"Naruto, I–"_

"Everything will be fine, Sakura-chan." Naruto knew that Sakura was aware of his reassuring smile and could imagine the hesitant smile that was probably brightening up her tear-stained face.

_"I know." _There was one last sniffle, before there was some shuffling noise. _"Alright! When we find him, I'll give him a punch hard enough there won't be enough left to charge me with!"_

Finally, Naruto was able to laugh into the phone, dropping his head a little. As if Sakura could ever even harm a single hair on Sasuke's head.

_"I'll go search then,"_ Sakura chirped, the sound of her steps echoing loudly. _"Don't get lost! Bye!"_

"Bye," the blond chuckled, still smiling as the call was disconnected. As soon as he lowered the phone from his ear, his expression darkened, just like Sakura's was probably as well. They both had the looming fear that this was something that wouldn't be easily resolved. They both knew this could end terribly.

It took a while for Naruto to notice how tightly he was clutching his phone. Taking a deep breath, jaw clenched and lips set in a straight line, he slipped it back into his pocket and turned around. He jumped a little when he suddenly found Kyuubi behind him, the redhead close enough for Naruto to bump his nose against the other's chest. The blond didn't step away though like he wanted to. Just held his ground as he stared up at those unreadable red eyes.

"You are weak, Naruto." Kyuubi didn't seem to be speaking out of scorn. He was dead-serious speaking those words, making them seem like the irrefutable truth. "Do you really think you can help that guy?"

"I'll find some way," the teen immediately shot back, letting his eyes drop to the grass. "I'll stop him somehow."

"_Somehow_ won't get you anywhere though." Noticing that Naruto was refusing to meet his eyes, Kyuubi turned and began to casually stroll around the low gravestones, glancing at each and every one with empty crimson eyes. "_I'll save him_. _I won't let this happen_._ I won't let you _kill_ him. _Don't you think I've heard stuff like that before? Do you really believe any of that proved to be true in the end? Do you think it saved _any_ of those that said those words?"

"I _know_ that this isn't something that's just gonna turn out fine when I want it to, Kyuubi!" Naruto's eyes burned with that slowly growing flame as he stalked towards the redhead. "I know Sasuke isn't just gonna stop when I tell him to! But I at least have to _try_! What else am I supposed to do! Just leave him? I can't do that and you know that better than anyone else!"

Kyuubi stopped in his tracks, the blond glaring at him from the side. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his coat and turned his head to look at the blond, still showing no emotion. "Your courage always impressed me. _Somehow_. It might get you killed though."

The scowl forming on Naruto's face wasn't one of anger or frustration, only grief. "He wouldn't do that."

Kyuubi sighed then, a long drawn out sigh. Rummaging around in his pocket, he walked towards the blond. The redhead caught Naruto by surprise as he only stopped when he was right in front of the teen and suddenly thrust his hand into the pocket of the blond's pants. Before he could even protest or shriek in surprise, the hand was gone again. Naruto could only stare in shock as Kyuubi now held two phones in his hands, his own and Naruto's. The redhead didn't speak as he tapped around on both phones, eyes skipping back and forth between the small displays.

"Here," he suddenly muttered, shoving the phone back at the blond as he turned around and stalked off. "I'm leaving."

"What? Where to?"

Kyuubi lazily threw up a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Dunno. Just gimme a call when you need anything, bitch tits. I saved you as _Apple Jacks_ in my contacts. See ya."

Naruto released a mix of a sigh and a groan for he couldn't decide if he should be relieved to have the _good ol' _Kyuubi back or if he should be apprehended about just that. He glanced down at his phone in his hand, looking through his contacts. He supposed Kyuubi had a new number again. A reoccurring thing since Kyuubi changed his number every few weeks. He eventually found the new contact in the list and a frown settled on his already tense face. _Binger_ it read. Naturally, as with everything concerning the redhead, Naruto had no clue what it meant. All he knew was that the names Kyuubi sometimes saved into their contact lists were related somehow. They probably had to do with something morbid. Or drugs. Yeah, in Kyuubi's case that sounded plausible.

Smiling to himself as he slipped his phone away, Naruto finally cast a last glance towards those eery gravestones that seemed to hold the answer to the enigma that was Kyuubi. The blond stepped in between the trees he knew he had come from with Gaara, finding himself squeezed and stuck on his way again. Without the sound of Gaara's footsteps guiding him, Naruto just felt… alone. As if suddenly, he was the only person on the planet. Cluelessly stumbling in the darkness. Unable to find his way out.

The darkness quickly became all-encompassing. It seemed to wash over him like something tangible, something _alive_. Suddenly, Naruto felt as if there were whispers behind him. A mix of voices hissing out words, trying to coax him. Must be the wind howling, he tried to reason. But then he remembered, as he got caught on something again, something that felt too much like a hand clamping around his ankle, that there was no wind here. In this place, there was no time. No life.

The realization made his heart thump painfully hard, adrenaline making him shutter as he panicked and now rushed to get out, to find some sign of life. If only he could see some light, something telling him he was still _there_, still tangible, and not lost in nothingness, devoured by darkness. Dread shot down his spine like liquid fire when again, he heard something akin to a voice whispering right behind him. Much louder. It sent his skin crawling. And Naruto knew that if he turned around now, he wouldn't see anything.

Or would he?

He suddenly felt like fainting when he could finally see a sliver of white light peaking through the canopies high above. Naruto didn't care about the branches catching on his clothes anymore, tearing little holes into his clothes and scraping his skin open. He only wanted to get out of here and know that there wasn't anything behind him, that there wasn't anything trying to keep him inside. He kept trying to convince himself that the whisper he kept hearing was just _the sound of nature_.

But deep down he knew better.

It came as a surprise when Naruto suddenly found himself stumbling out of the woodwork and nearly crashing into Gaara. The redhead stepped out of the way and watched as the blond pummeled to the ground with a small screech.

"Gee, thanks for the help," Naruto grumbled from the ground, picking himself up as he shot a tiny glare at the redhead. "No need to help the panicking blond guy."

The redhead merely smiled at him. _Smiled_ at him with that not-even-there smile as if Naruto running out of the thick woodwork looking like death was on his heels was the funniest thing in the world. "I knew you would find your way out."

Naruto found himself unable to return the smile as he stood beside the other. His thoughts now only circled around Sasuke. Around how he was going to find him and stop whatever crazy thing he was trying to do. He wouldn't let any of his friends become like… himself. He wouldn't let Sasuke sink as deep as him. Naruto would pull him out of that bottomless ocean before it would be too late, just like Sasuke had pulled him out of the murky depths. Without him, the blond realized, Naruto may have never ended up having Kyuubi give him his memories back. His friends would have given up on him completely, watching him from afar and making sure he was fine but having no courage left to approach him. Maybe he would still be with Mizuki. Maybe he would be dead by now.

Sasuke had saved him.

"I consider you a friend, Naruto."

When Naruto glanced at Gaara after being brought back to reality by the redhead's voice, he noticed the smile gone from the other's face.

"It's because of you that I came to treasure the people close to me. And I understand more than anything that you want to desperately help the people you hold dear."

Again, Naruto was overcome by the feeling that someone knew more than he should. It was as if Gaara knew exactly what he was thinking about. _Who_ he was thinking about.

"But you have to realize that some people are beyond saving and that you will only cause yourself more suffering by chasing after illusions."

Naruto disagreed, of course, but somehow he just couldn't get himself to argue with Gaara. He knew it was a rare thing for Gaara to say something like this. If anything, he should appreciate it. Still, he had to bite his lip to stop himself from yelling at the redhead, his eyebrows furrowing into a frown.

"I saw him, Naruto." Gaara turned to stare at the blond, fixing him with that intense glare. "I saw it coming a long time ago. This isn't something that has only just started. Sasuke-kun has been harboring these feelings ever since the first time I saw him and even now, three years later, those feelings of his are still there. Now, they are much stronger than before. I can see it so clearly in his eyes because I used to be the same." At this, his eyes briefly broke away from Naruto's lowered head, the blond curiously peering up at him. Gaara tilted his head a little when he connected their gazes. "He has been planning his perfidious revenge for a long time and nothing has made his craving for revenge disappear, so what can you do for him?"

Naruto struggled now to keep their eyes connected, not wanting to lose what had now become a stare-down. "I…"

"As his friend, do what you have to do." Gaara slowly walked towards the blond now, never breaking eye contact. His intense eyes seemed to soften as he laid a hand on the other's shoulder.

It wasn't so much what Gaara said that made Naruto smile bitterly. It was what Gaara _didn't _say.

_As his friend, do what you have to do. But be prepared for the worst._

"How did everything go to hell like this?" Naruto mumbled as he finally lowered his eyes from those pools of green. "Just a while ago…" _Sasuke and I were sitting in Ayame's Café_. _I was… He… _"How can things just turn out like this? It can't be. Sakura-chan is probably just overreacting. It's not like Sasuke's just… going out to kill someone suddenly. I mean…" _Everything was fine. Really. Completely fine. Sasuke wasn't like that. _"I just _know_ he cares too much to do something like that! He wouldn't just go off and throw everything away!" _He kissed me. _"Sasuke isn't like that," he murmured brokenly, doubt beginning to cloud his mind, Naruto finding himself slowly growing unable to convince himself. Everyone around him was telling him that Sasuke had suddenly turned into a ruthless would-be killer seeking revenge. It just couldn't be. "Why did you come here anyway, Gaara?" Naruto knew his harsh question came out of blue. But somehow, with Gaara talking like that, he somehow couldn't suppress his curiosity anymore.

Gaara fixed Naruto with another intense stare, seeming as if he wouldn't answer anytime soon. But then, when Naruto was about to push for an answer, the redhead turned away to walk into the direction they had originally come from, back to civilization. He heard the blond following him and stared ahead as he walked. "You will find out soon enough."

And Naruto knew that he wouldn't get another word out of Gaara for a long time. For Gaara, this conversation was over. Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't help put keep his eyes trained on Gaara's back, lost in his doubts and searching for some kind of reassurance.

_"To me, you have become my best friend."_

And the memory of Sasuke speaking those words was all it took to feed the flame sizzling in Naruto, to make it grow and give the blond the strength and determination to go on. To deal with this mess. Surely, there was some explanation to all this and soon, they would all be laughing about it.

How wrong he was.

* * *

><p>Oh gosh, this was so difficult to write. This conversation with Kyuubi is something I've been planning almost ever since introducing Kyuubi, which is why I had parts of it already written out. The problem was integrating those parts into the chapter without it seeming weird or clumsy. And then I got stuck so many times I lost count. But maybe the jerky way I built this chapter adds to the tension between Kyuubi and Naruto.<p>

And there's been a little change of plans. Remember that poll on my profile where you could vote for the type of story I should do after this one? Well… I found this WIP and fell in love with it. It's actually a written out doujinshi. I was planning to draw a doujinshi but with school and writing this story, it was impossible to find time to do that as well. I never even considered this tiny WIP as something I would pick up again, so I completely forgot about it. I've been craving to write another highschool AU story though and this just gives me the perfect opportunity. So what is it about? Naruto is an **assassin**. And he's bad-ass while retaining his retarded characteristics. And Sasuke is the son of the chief of the **police**. Of course this will be a SasuNaru story, so now you can imagine the drama that will ensue. My fingers are tingling in anticipation of writing what's in my head!

So in case you haven't noticed, the title and some of the content in this chapter is loosely based on one of the opening songs from Shippuuden, _Diver_. I just love that song and the opening. It's so full of imagery with all the color shifts and the way Naruto's sinking into the dark water, then coming back up with the support of his friends. And then Sasuke is just sinking deeper into the water and kind of challenging Naruto. I love it.

And I'm leaving it up to you to decide wether Sasuke's _Thank you_ was directed at the cash lady or Sakura. I'm really just leaving that up for speculation.

Next chapter: Black Fog

– Murasaki B

P.S. Sword Art Online is giving me so many feels. _Too_ many.

P.P.S I feel like this story is slowly dying, but I'll try to keep going anyway.


	33. Black Fog

I guess everyone's used to waiting at least a month for new chapters. Sorry for being busy and lazy as hell. Several things have kept me from finishing and uploading this chapter, the main reason being that my inspiration refused me midway through. I lost the drive to write this story when the chapter was halfway done, but I forced myself to finish it anyway. I'm sure it's just a phase, so I'll keep writing until I like this story enough again to write it properly.

I apologize in advance in case this chapter is disappointing. I _know_ it's crap. It's a little devastating because this chapter is so crucial and dramatic, but I tried to make something of it anyway. I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer.

I hope you enjoy the chapter even if it's crappy.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXIII<span>  
><span>– Black Fog –<span>

The realization did not penetrate Naruto's stubborn mind for a long time, but at some point, when the deep yellow sun was beginning to set and slowly disappeared behind the horizon along with any sunlight, he had to realize that he was completely and utterly _lost_ beyond belief.

"Shiiiiiit…"

The blond of course knew the tall buildings he was surrounded by. Everything in Konoha was familiar, since, even though it was a ginormous city, he had been to every part of it at some point. Living the way he had – always running away to find shelter away from home and always in the same town – had just lead him to nearly every corner of the city. That didn't help him in the least though. He _still_ didn't have a clue where to even _begin_ searching for Sasuke.

Naruto ruffled his hair as he stopped to look around once again, his expression lost and confused. "Now if I were a loony bastard, where would I go?" His mind stuttered to a stop at that, like each time he tried to come up with an answer to that question. It honestly shamed him that he couldn't even figure something like this out. Knowing where your supposed _best friend_ would go in situations like this was a given, at least to Naruto. But he wasn't even able to do that, which made something in his chest sting painfully. He was disappointed in himself.

The small crowd on the narrow sidewalk he was standing on was slowly thinning out, people meandering about and beginning to retreat into their warm, cozy homes. The sight used to make Naruto's mood plummet to impossibly deep depths, his mind shifting to his seemingly ever-present tormentor, but now it made him smile as the image of a grinning Iruka welcoming him home and greeting him with a hug flashed in his mind.

_I have to find him_.

Pushing aside any distracting thoughts, Naruto focused back on the task on hand, determination hardening his expression. He had to admit that finding Sasuke was harder than he had thought. He had imagined suddenly having a magical epiphany that would lead him to Sasuke, that some _force_ or _sense_ would bring him to him. That just like in the movies, he would arrive in the nick of time and stop his friend from doing something horrible. But apparently, it didn't work like that. All Naruto could do was to wander around aimlessly in hopes of maybe finding Sasuke in time. He knew it was pointless somehow and he could already feel a sense of hopelessness creeping up on him, telling him it was useless and that he should just give up. But then he would be giving up on Sasuke and he simply couldn't do that.

_I can't give up_.

Naruto carried on, too stubborn to listen to his logical mind that kept trying to convince him that this was useless. That the possibility of randomly finding his best friend was much too low. That he would _never_ find Sasuke. That there was no way he could stop him. But then the blond paused, a shocked gasp silently passing his lips. He stopped in his tracks abruptly, taking a few steps backwards. Halting next to a dark alleyway, he slowly turned his head to look at what had caught his attention.

A bloody handprint. Red painted on a brick wall, smeared across the uneven surface.

Breath catching in his throat, Naruto immediately marched into the darkness of the alleyway, shivering when the cold of the shadows engulfed him, seeming to pull him deeper and deeper. He couldn't explain to himself why, but that handprint only had one meaning to him: Sasuke had been here. A feeling of dread surged through him at the thought of where that blood may have come from.

Naruto didn't even notice when he broke out into a run, once again aimlessly searching. He nearly fell over a garbage bag and crashed to the ground, but regained his balance in time. He stumbled on for a while, pace slowing down the farther he went into the shadows. The alleyway turned left a few metres ahead. Naruto couldn't see anything. He could only slowly proceed and dread what was ahead.

He came to a stop next to the corner, hesitating. What was ahead… Maybe he didn't want to see.

Pressing a hand against the cold brick wall next to him, Naruto slowly slid down and kneeled. He curled in on himself a little, shivering now. Maybe he really didn't want to see.

But he had to.

Gulping, Naruto slowly pulled himself up again. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat, in his head even. As if it was trying to break out of his ribcage. It hurt. The way it hammered mercilessly against his chest.

"How long are you going to hide there, moron?"

Naruto went rigid. He didn't move, didn't breathe. Even his heart seemed to have suddenly stopped. That deep sultry voice was unmistakable. Only now the blond finally heard the hoarse breathing, the occasional sharp intake of air and shifting of clothes. He only managed to stumble forward a few steps before he collapsed onto his knees upon seeing what was hiding in the shadows.

Sasuke.

Clothes disheveled, hair messed up, looking exhausted beyond belief. Blood splattered over his features, hair sticking to his face smeared with drops of blood.

"What…" Naruto, deemed immobile by the sight, could only stare at the other with shock-widened eyes. "What… happened to your eye?" A single cold eye stared back at him with an unwavering intensity. Naruto clenched his fists into the gravel below his hands when the other, closed eye slowly opened. And revealed a horrible sight.

The white of Sasuke's left eye was tinted a light shade of red, streaks of blood running down from his eye and over his cheek. Naruto couldn't see in the shadows, but somehow, Sasuke's left eye looked faded. It lacked the intense darkness his other eye still showed.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's cry rang out loudly in the silent alleyway as he quickly shuffled towards the brunet, falling to his knees in front of him. "What's wrong with your eye? What happened? Are you hurt?" Hesitantly, Naruto reached out and carefully wiped some of the blood off of Sasuke's face. "Sasuke…" With horror the blond watched as more blood dribbled down from Sasuke's eye, staining his cheek again. "What happened to your eye?" he questioned again, voice firm now and not allowing any excuses.

A small annoyed frown shifted Sasuke's eyebrows and the brunet glared off to the side. He seemed to be contemplating something. He was silent for a long time and let Naruto squirm at the sight of his dull eye. "It's…" His eyes suddenly flicked back to Naruto, his posture tensing. "It's a disease. It runs in my family." He watched how Naruto's face fell somewhat, dread mingling into those cerulean eyes. "Most male Uchiha suffer from it. I'm slowly losing my sight and will eventually go completely blind." Pulling one hand out of Naruto's grip after sending the blond a meaning look, Sasuke held it in front of his own face and slowly waved it around. "I'm nearly blind on my left eye. I don't even have a week left before I'll be completely blind."

Naruto heard the words. He heard Sasuke say them. But his mind refused to accept them, refused to believe they had been uttered. Refused to believe Sasuke was slowly going blind. "Let's go home."

The words seemed to rouse Sasuke finally, the brunet lifting his head a little to look at Naruto. He had expected an extreme outburst, not a completely blank expression and no reaction at all. "Home?" he echoed, voice sounding hollow and distant.

"Yeah," Naruto smiled, grabbing both of Sasuke's shockingly cold hands and holding them in his own. "Let's go home, okay? We'll just… clean you up and everything will be fine."

When Sasuke slowly closed his eyes, another droplet of blood fell from his eye. He slumped together a little, leaning back against the brick wall behind him. "There is no place for me to go to anymore." Drowsily opening his eyes again, Sasuke pulled his hands out of Naruto's and lifted them so the other could see his palms. "Do you see this?"

Puzzled, Naruto clenched his jaw as he forced himself to look at the other's palms. Those hands tainted by blood, peaking out of sleeves drenched with tiny red splatters.

"Do you really think I _want_ to go back, Naruto? With my hands like this?"

"I told you!" Naruto suddenly shouted, taking Sasuke's hands into his again. "We'll just wash them–"

"I'm not talking about that," Sasuke hissed. "Are you so naive as to think that washing my hands will solve this? It's not over yet. It only just started and I can't stop here."

Genuine rage filled Naruto's every fiber all of a sudden. It surged through his body like a torrent of hot, crashing waves. He simply couldn't fathom why Sasuke would throw so much away for the sake of revenge. He just couldn't. "Why can't you just stop chasing after what has been taken from you, Sasuke?" he barked out. "Just look at your life right now! What you built up! You have your brother, you have friends, you're good in school, you have a nice place to live. Why can't you just appreciate all that? Why can't you just let go of the past? Why are you trying to destroy all that?"

"I thought you would say something like that," Sasuke spat, glaring at Naruto now with venom in his eyes. "You don't understand me, Naruto! You never had a family in the first place! You can't imagine what it's like having one taken away from you!" Angrily glaring at the other, Sasuke dug his fingers into Naruto's hand, noting the small wince he elicited. "No one can understand me. No one can imagine what it's like hating one person your entire life, with hate the only thing you live for, the only purpose in your life, only to find out that this person is the only one to ever really care for you! You can't imagine what it's like knowing that person is going to…"

Naruto noted the way Sasuke trailed off, as if stopping himself from saying something the blond wasn't supposed to know. "You're right, I can't understand. I've been raised by a maniac that isn't even my real father and that only ever hurt me. I'd be happy if he was murdered, actually. I can't understand you. All I know is that I don't want to… lose you. You're important to me! More important than _anyone_ else! And I don't know what I'll do if…" In front of him, Sasuke paused and stared at him with a somewhat astonished expression, before his face turned indifferent again.

"By the end of this week, when my sight will go completely dark, I won't be here anymore." Sasuke lessened the pressure he was putting on Naruto's hands and let his hunched shoulders relax. "I will do what I have to do and then disappear. As long as I can ease this hatred in my heart, I don't care about the rest. And even if I lose my sight before easing that hatred, I will keep going. My goal is in the darkness. I don't need my eyes to reach it." The Uchiha slowly freed his hands from the blond's now lifeless grip and stared at him with a blank expression, his still functioning eye just as dull as his unseeing one. "So just forget about me. Don't try to stop me, Naruto. If you really genuinely care about me, then don't stop me."

Naruto couldn't think after this. Could only watch as Sasuke wiped the blood from his face and rose to his feet, a hand over his bleeding eye. All Naruto could feel was the gaping hole opening up in his guts, seeming to suck him in like a black hole. His legs were paralyzed even when Sasuke made to leave and Naruto tried to rush after him. His vocal chords didn't function when he tried to call out to the other. He couldn't even cry, just watch Sasuke leave.

Watch as Sasuke walked towards the light and left him in the darkness.

* * *

><p>Naruto woke up the next day lying in his own bed and wondering how he had gotten there. He couldn't remember ever making it home after that encounter with Sasuke. All he remembered was that disturbing look on Sasuke's face. One eye glaring at him with disdain and indifference, the other faded and unseeing. Eventually, both eyes would be faded. If what Sasuke had said was true, in just a few days, he would be blind. And dead.<p>

"Naruto!"

Naruto didn't realize that Iruka was coming into his room until he saw him leaning over him. He saw the man's face change, a grimace forming, but he couldn't interpret it at all. It was as though he had forgotten how to understand facial expressions. "Iruka-sensei?"

"Get out of bed!" the brunet chided, tugging at the teen's arm. "It's already late! If you don't get up soon, you won't be able to leave on time. I bet Sakura is on her way already."

It was difficult to process Iruka's words. As if Naruto's brain refused to properly take the words in. After a while of staring at the man with hooded eyes, the blond finally made to get up and ignored the worried glance being sent his way. He dragged his body towards his dresser and completely forgot that Iruka was still there as he began to undress. He didn't hear the little shriek and the steps hastily shuffling out of his room. He kept staring at the same patch of light gray wall as he dressed. And he was slow. Sluggish.

So slow and sluggish that Iruka came to check on him after while, only to find him with his arms and head in his shirt, just standing there. The man heaved a heavy sigh and decided to help the pitiful blond. Iruka felt like he was dressing a little child as he pulled down Naruto's shirt and tucked it into place. He knew asking what was wrong wouldn't get him anywhere. He knew Naruto wouldn't tell him even if he asked. But he trusted Sakura and hoped she would take care of him later.

Iruka was frowning when he dragged the blond to his bed and pushed him down to sit on it. He grumbled quietly to himself as he pulled off Naruto's pajama pants and neatly folded them together. His eyes wandered up to the teen's face and still, all he could find was a face lacking any notion of emotion. Those usually vibrant blue eyes seemed dull and empty. With a little sigh passing his lips, he took a pair of dark pants and slid them over Naruto's legs, then pulled the blond up to tug them up completely and close them. He tugged everything into place and eventually let his hands rest on Naruto's shoulders, looking at him with a look of utter concern. It was unbearable for him to see his little blond in this state, knowing he couldn't help him at all. All he could ever do was offer the teen a sense of safety and warmth.

"Naruto…" Feeling tears well up at the sight of the unresponsive teen, Iruka suddenly pulled Naruto against his chest and tightly wrapped his arms around him. He buried one hand in messy blond hair while the other arm remained wrapped around Naruto's shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine." For a moment he thought that maybe Mizuki was involved in this, but immediately shot that assumption down. Naruto would be distressed in that case, not unresponsive like this. He was acting as though he was in shock. As if… someone had died.

For a moment Iruka had all the reason and intention to keep Naruto at home in his room where he could watch over him, but the ringing at the front door promptly interrupted that train of thought. Begrudgingly letting go of Naruto, Iruka left the room and rushed down the stairs to open the door. Upon swinging the door open, he was met with the sight of a bright Haruno Sakura standing in front of him, looking chipper and brilliant as always.

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei," she greeted him with a kind smile. "Isn't Naruto up yet? That slob."

Iruka felt a small smile tug at his lips. Just seeing Sakura gave him the confidence that Naruto would be okay in her hands. That he would be okay after spending some time with his friends. It pained him to know that even though he used to be able to ease any pain Naruto was in, all he could do now was hand him over to someone else. It wasn't supposed to be like this. "Good morning, Sakura. Naruto… He…" His smile faded a little when Sakura's face immediately fell and a darkness flashed over her features. Only now he noticed the unusually pale color of her face and the slight darkness underneath her eyes. As if she had had a troubled night. "Something happened, right?"

Clenching her teeth, Sakura looked up at the man. She forced herself not to nervously rub at her arm, knowing Iruka would see through her immediately that way and know that something horrible was going on. "Yes," she simply replied and hoped the teacher wouldn't pry further.

"Is… Does… Did Mizuki show up again?"

Sakura heard the slight panic in the man's voice and immediately put on a smile to ease his mind. "Nothing like that," she waved off. "It's just… He's probably worrying about someone. You know how he gets when someone he cares for has… problems."

"I do." Iruka nodded, uncertain if he should perhaps ask who all this was about. But then his head snapped around when he heard the soft noise of Naruto's feet hitting the stairs instead of the usual crashing of him bolting down while yelling out a cheerful _Good morning_. "Sakura's here," Iruka smiled. He merely received a short glance before Naruto picked up his bag and headed for the door. The teen brushed past him without a single look in his direction and just left. Iruka managed to smile at Sakura as he silently closed the door.

Meanwhile, Sakura stopped waving when the click of the door shutting sounded and felt the smile on her face slip away. She slowly turned to follow Naruto who was standing on the sidewalk and staring at nothing. Sakura rushed forward and grabbed the blond's wrist, then started dragging him towards school. She knew she had to tell him eventually since she suspected he hadn't heard about it yet. She didn't want him to hear about it from newspapers or the television either. He had to hear it from _her_ so she could comfort him. So she could be there for him when he found out…

What Sasuke had done.

Sakura only stopped dragging Naruto along when his hoarse voice froze her in place.

"Sakura-chan…"

The girl felt her blood run painfully cold. She suddenly couldn't move her limbs at all, felt numbness paralyze her entire body. It took all her willpower to turn around to look at the blond. Her eyes widened when she too took in the sight of Naruto's dull eyes.

"You know, I had this really freaky dream last night." Naruto sounded so casual. He was smiling. As if this was like any morning. "I was lost somehow… but then I found Sasuke. But he was… He…" His smile faded and the tiny glimmer in his eyes left again. "It _was_ a dream, right? Sasuke's going to be at school. And he's going to call me an idiot when I say something to him. And then we'll all sit together during break. Right?"

Sakura really hadn't expected that this was going to be so hard. She suddenly felt as though she knew what a doctor or policeman having to break the news of a relative's death to a family member was going through. "Naruto…" Sakura regained control of her body and turned around to properly face her best friend. She took both of the blond's hands into her trembling ones, clutching at his hands to hold herself together as well. "This morning, Shimura Danzo was brought to a hospital. He's a retired politician and used to be part of a party opposing the Hokage. He's been suffering from an illness for a while now and was already weakened, but… Well, the police haven't released any information yet, but they've hinted at someone brutally attacking and nearly murdering him." Sakura shut herself up before she could ramble on. She waited for some reaction from Naruto and was clueless about what to expect.

"What are you saying, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl began to nervously massage Naruto's hands in hers, stroking her thumb over his skin. "You found Sasuke-kun yesterday, right?" Sakura noticed the blond's eyebrows twitch downwards into a frown for a second, before relaxing again. She tensed a little when Naruto simply nodded. "So… didn't he seem… different? Was he acting weirdly?"

Naruto stared down at their joined hands for a while, seeming to recall something as his eyes became distant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Naruto!" Sakura tugged a little at Naruto's hands and lifted them up a little. "Don't you get it! Sasuke has been planning to do this all along! As much as this hurts to admit, he only came back to–"

"We should get going," Naruto suddenly cut her off coldly, ripping his hands out of Sakura's hold and stiffly marching past her towards school. "We're gonna be late."

And once again Sakura was left standing there, Naruto walking away from her.

_Are you really going to be like this again, Naruto?_

* * *

><p>Once Naruto was seated in his classroom with Kiba sitting to his right, he felt himself reclining. He could feel himself shift into a state where he didn't perceive anything. A dark fog wrapped around him and blocked his senses, made him numb. He stayed like this, not seeing anything, not hearing anything, not feeling anything. He didn't want to feel anymore. He knew what was coming when he allowed himself to feel again. This pain… He didn't want to feel it.<p>

A sudden warmth made the blond's lowered head jerk upwards a little, but he couldn't see anything. He didn't know where the warmth was coming from, only that it was slowly dragging him out of the fog. And suddenly, the fog cleared.

"Hey…"

Naruto's sight cleared up and he was faced with the sight of Kiba grinning at him.

"I'm gonna sleep over at Shikamaru's with Chouji next week. Wanna join? It's gonna be awesome!"

Despite Naruto being unable to take in the words for a long time, Kiba seemed to patiently wait for an answer. And seeing the brunet beam at him like that, Naruto couldn't hold back the tiny hint of a smile playing along his lips. He simply nodded, dropping his head again. He suddenly felt a hand roughly stroking the back of his hair, warmth seeping into his scalp. It was a warmth that seemed to spread into his skull and chase away the black fog. It stayed on his head for a while, before slowly slipping down over his neck and back, then leaving entirely. The warmth it left behind cleared Naruto's mind a little and forced him to finally take in what was happening around him. The teacher in the front writing something on the board, the students chattering to each other in secret, the sky outside being nearly completely concealed by clouds.

There was one thing in the room that seemed to suck in all of his attention, despite Naruto not even looking. Like a black hole, it sucked away at him, slowly breaking him apart and taking whatever it could from him.

Sasuke's very presence in the room was slowly draining Naruto. The blond refused to look, just knew the Uchiha was there. And that knowledge alone was enough to make him feel his entire body petrify.

"That's it for today!" the teacher suddenly announced from the front, clapping his hands loudly to wake any sleepy students. "Don't forget to hand in your papers until next week. This assignment may seem simple, but it contains things that will show up in the upcoming test, so prepare yourselves!" With a wave the teacher then left. And just when he slid open the door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and smiled at someone the students couldn't see from inside.

A few words were exchanged before the teacher left altogether, leaving the door open. It was slid open a bit wider then and someone else stepped in.

"Good morning," a soothing voice greeted, a white-haired man now walking to the teacher's desk. "My name is Yakushi Kabuto and since I am only a little older than you, you can just call me Kabuto." There was a warm smile on his face, just as warm as his voice. "I'll be your biology teacher for a while until Anko-sensei returns. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Naruto perked up at the words. Anko was gone? Why hadn't he heard of this yet? Perhaps because he had been so invested with his own problems. It made the blond feel a little regretful, since he probably had been missing out on many other things as well. "Where did Anko-sensei go?" he asked Kiba quietly, who was glancing at their new teacher.

"Hm?" the brunet grumbled back absent-mindedly, only slowly shifting his attention to the blond. "Oh, Anko-sensei! Well… we don't know either. Kakashi-sensei said she's on vacation, but she didn't tell us about it before so I'm a little confused."

Rubbing at his eyes, Naruto hummed in response and looked at their new teacher. He seemed nice enough. Maybe a little boring, but as long as their spunky biology teacher would return at some point, Naruto didn't mind. He would really miss the woman's crude drawings on the blackboard otherwise.

After Kabuto's little introduction, he simply released the class and earned himself quite a few brownie points for that. The students already liked him and waved him goodbye as they left. Naruto was about to silently follow Kiba outside, the brunet blabbering on about what they would do at that sleepover. About games, pranks they could pull and just generally all the shit they could do. The blond was stopped by a soft voice behind him calling him.

"Naruto-kun?"

Turning around, Naruto found his new teacher looking at him with a serious expression. "Yes?"

"Do you have a moment?"

A little perplexed at the sudden change in mood, Naruto merely nodded. He gave Kiba a dismissive wave of his hand and signaled him to go on without him, then turned back to his teacher.

Kabuto stared at the door for a while and waited for a few seconds even after it was closed. His already serious expression suddenly became stern. "Jiraiya-sama sent me."

Eyes widening a fraction, Naruto watched as the man pushed himself away from the desk he was leaning against. At first the words didn't make any sense to him at all. The fog was still muddling up his mind. "What?"

The man's jaw seemed to tense a little and Kabuto searched the blond's face carefully. "Me being here as a teacher is just a cover. I'm supposed to protect you. You were attacked a while ago, right?" Again, the white-haired man watched as the teen before him stared at him blankly and perfectly looked the part of a malfunctioning computer struggling to process data. Kabuto briefly wiped over his eyes and suppressed a groan. "Well, I was very _suddenly_ called here and pulled off of a different… task, so I apologize if I seem… unfriendly." This time Kabuto couldn't keep in his groan as those deep blue eyes merely blinked at him without any sign of understanding what he had just said. "Okay, listen. Just do me a favor: don't walk around city by yourself, you hear me? Do you even know what could have happened yesterday? I had to drag you back to your house and sneak you into your own home! Imagine if someone had seen me!"

Those blue eyes finally showed a sign of realization and the blond perked up a little. "_You_ brought me home?" he questioned quietly, feeling like he didn't have the strength to speak louder. He received a curt nod in return along with a small glare. "I was wondering about that. Sorry… I guess. I won't do it again." All this talk about having a bodyguard, being stalked, having to be watched, it somehow didn't seem relevant to Naruto anymore. The danger Mizuki posed to him seemed so distant and sometimes he wondered if the eyes he sometimes felt on him were perhaps just his imagination playing tricks on him. That one time in the alley, that time when he had been attacked, suddenly seemed like something far in the distant past. It had happened in a time when Sasuke was still… himself.

_"I won't let anything happen to you anymore."_

Now that Naruto thought about it, Sasuke hadn't been himself that day at all. He had seemed so… intense. So full of emotion. Like an open book. At least compared to how he usually trapped all his emotions inside those dark eyes of his, those seemingly endless pitches of black.

_"I'm helping you."_

The things Sasuke had said back then had been so out of character for him. So horribly weird coming from his mouth. Naruto couldn't believe them. How could he? After what Sasuke had done.

_"I'm trying to repent for that now, you moron!"_

What had he done anyway? He had listened to Naruto's misery on a regular basis, pretended not to know all his dirty little secrets and… helped him. Of course not in the way Naruto would have wanted. Sasuke had rarely comforted him or tried to ease his pain. Still, he had always been there for him when he needed to vent and saved him in the most dire situations. He could have just ignored Naruto's calls and left him to deal with his problems by himself. But those little phone conversations had brightened Naruto's dark days just a tiny bit, just enough to save him from drowning in the sheer numbing darkness surrounding him constantly.

_"Back then, I didn't feel about you the same way I do now!"_

Would things have gone differently if Suigetsu hadn't called at that moment? What would Sasuke have said after that? What…

What did Naruto _wish_ he had said?

"Well, that's all I wanted to say," Kabuto suddenly spoke up, urging the teen outside. "I'm supposed to monitor the hallway, so go outside. And don't go anywhere by yourself!"

The blond could only nod as he was ushered out of the door. He stumbled a little as he was pushed out and bumped into something warm and firm in front of him. Looking up just a little, he found Kiba's face grinning at him. He quickly pushed away and began walking away, knowing Kiba would follow. Somehow, he suddenly felt guilty. He was starting to realize something. He couldn't quite grasp it yet and all he knew was that this was extremely unfair. This thing he had with Kiba.

An arm wrapping around him and a hand settling on his waist snapped Naruto out of his thoughts and made him glance sideways at Kiba who was walking close to his side now.

"You okay?" the brunet inquired with a small smile that barely concealed the extent of how worried he actually was.

Naruto didn't even try to hide anything and simply turned his head away, stared ahead, not speaking a single word. He must look horrible if everyone around him instantly knew that he was devastated. He felt the hand on his waist stroke up and down in a soothing manner. But despite Kiba's warmth against him, Naruto still felt cold to the core. As if his insides were frozen and impossible to melt. As if even his blood consisted of liquid ice flowing throughout his entire body.

Would he be like this if he hadn't yelled at Sasuke like that back then? If he had just accepted his words? It only now occurred to Naruto that Sasuke had been trying to apologize. He knew better than anyone else that Sasuke really wasn't the person to be very open with his emotions. It probably had been extremely difficult for him to speak such honest and sincere words. Words that had left him vulnerable to the blond. And what had Naruto done? Brutally cut him down with his words.

If Naruto had just accepted Sasuke's apology, would things have gone differently?

If he hadn't run away from Sasuke yesterday when the brunet had kissed him and completely blown him off of his feet, would Sasuke not have changed like this?

If Naruto had just forgotten his frustration and anger and seen Sasuke's words and actions for what they really were, would all this still have happened?

The arm around him that suddenly pulled Naruto closer to Kiba's warm body tore Naruto out of his thoughts and caused him to look up from the floor. He couldn't see anything at all besides the mass of students walking in the hallway. Brows creasing together into a frown, he glanced at Kiba's face beside him and found a deep snarl on the brunet's face, a look that could kill in his eyes. Utterly confused now, Naruto tried to find whatever Kiba was glaring so murderously at.

A dull gaze suddenly pierced him to the core like an icy dagger.

Naruto immediately tensed and Kiba noticed, which only caused the Inuzuka's scowl to deepen and a low growl to quietly leave his chest. Confusion spread over Kiba's features when instead of backing away, Naruto suddenly took a hesitant step towards the source of his anger. "Naruto?"

The blond didn't hear him. Suddenly, the arm around him was nonexistent, the students walking around him irrelevant. All he could see was that glare directed at him, an indifferent glare that was like none other he had been subjected to. It was empty, cold and chilled him to the point he shivered. Sasuke had never made him feel this way before, this _lonely_, with just a glare.

Naruto nearly faltered when the glare suddenly left him and flicked away. It narrowed, intensifying and suddenly seeming to spurt flames with an intense heat. Naruto cringed a little assuming Kiba was probably shooting a similar look at the Uchiha. The hand tightly grabbing his waist now suddenly left and reached down to grab his hand.

The dull gaze suddenly narrowed a tiny bit more, before Sasuke suddenly turned on the spot and stalked away.

Before Naruto could even think about it, he was rushing towards the brunet and trying to stop him from walking away, but the hand grabbing his stopped him. Turning around, Naruto winced a little when he saw the anger in Kiba's eyes. It softened when their eyes met, but didn't leave entirely.

"It's always going to be like this, right?"

Naruto had never heard Kiba talk like this before. So quietly, with such a soft tone. Barely loud enough for him to hear.

"You're always going to choose him over me, aren't you?"

"It's…" Naruto gulped, slowly slipping his hand out of Kiba's grip. He didn't dare look at the other again for fear of what he would see. "It's not like that, Kiba."

"I think it's exactly what I'm guessing it is." A sigh. A hand running through hair in frustration. "Just… follow him. I'll just…" Kiba dropped the hand from his hair, lowering his head. "I'll wait here."

Before he could think about the consequences arising from doing this, Naruto rushed away. Pushed past people and snaked his way through the countless students blocking his way. He couldn't think about anything except for that stare. That cold, piercing stare.

It didn't take long for Naruto to catch up with Sasuke. He soon found the brunet walking away from him and rushed to catch up with him. He noticed the languid way in which Sasuke carried himself, sauntering off as if he wasn't trying to get away.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto's desperate call was ignored and the Uchiha merely picked up his pace a little.

"Wait!"

Nearly tripping over his own feet as he stumbled after the other, Naruto finally got close enough to grab a hold of Sasuke's wrist to stop him.

"Just… stay."

Sasuke seemed to suddenly freeze in place, still as a statue.

Maybe it was just Naruto's imagination, but he felt light tremors running through Sasuke's arm. And he knew that if he let go now, Sasuke may be completely out of reach for him afterwards. Sunken down too deep into that dark ocean he feared so much. Afraid the other may free himself from his weak grasp, Naruto stepped closer and clamped both his hands around Sasuke's arm. "Don't leave."

For a long time it seemed as though Sasuke wouldn't ever turn around to show his face to Naruto. As if he was already too far away to have that kind of interaction with him. But then he tilted his head down, shoulders tensing a little. "What do you want?"

The way Sasuke spoke once again drove an icy dagger into Naruto's chest. His voice low and somber, his tone haunting and menacing. "I… want to ask you something."

Sasuke showed no sign of acknowledging the blond's words aside from turning his head into the blond's direction a little.

Feeling a sudden dread cloud his mind, telling him to back off, Naruto tried to force out the words before he could decide against it. "What were you going to say? In the café, before Suigetsu called."

Again, Sasuke remained silent. He seemed so much like a statue formed from a stone much too cold to touch, standing still as if nothing could move him. "Isn't it obvious?" he suddenly replied in a low voice. "I'm not gonna say it."

"Just tell me!" Naruto urged, pulling at the other's arms in hopes of maybe getting Sasuke to face him properly. He wanted– no, _needed _to see Sasuke's face. Needed to see his eyes before they would turn dull, the Uchiha's sight faded. He needed to see them in case this was the last time he had the chance.

"No." Still, Sasuke's voice sounded so detached, so indifferent. Indifferent as though completely severed from the world. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore."

"Why not?" Naruto knew the answer. He dreaded it. He didn't want to hear the answer that was already swimming around in his mind.

"Why should it?"

Only reluctantly Naruto allowed Sasuke to remove his hands from his arm, still scared he might disappear if he let go. His heart began to race and he held his breath when very slowly, Sasuke turned around to converse with him face to face. His heart sunk when he caught sight of the white medical eyepatch covering Sasuke's right eye.

"Because I won't be alive for much longer anyway. Even if I told you, it wouldn't make a difference." Sasuke stood staring into those shocked blue eyes, features unchanging, apathetic expression seeming as if set in stone.

Their gazes remained locked for some time, the two standing in the middle of the hallway, people sending them curious glances but ignoring them. To them, there was only this moment, this silent exchange. Naruto desperate to somehow get through to the other and Sasuke coldly denying the blond even the tiniest breach past his walls. Eventually, the brunet broke away completely, interrupting any kind of contact between the two. He walked away, Naruto at a loss for what to do.

Should he go after the other? Should he just leave Sasuke to his fate? Should he just give up?

And then it occurred to him. Before even considering to give up, there was one last thing he had to try. If even that didn't get him anywhere, he would simply have to find another way.

* * *

><p>The end… it sucks. It sucks bad. This chapter sucks so much. But I wanted to get this out anyway, otherwise I would never get it out at all. And seeing how horrible this chapter is, the next few better be kick-ass *kicks herself*. I know this chapter doesn't seem so bad, but compared to what I was imagining it to turn out like, it is. Believe me. I'm just a pro at making crappy things look good, that's it. You have no idea how much I was struggling writing the end. Every word I typed felt like I was ripping out a part of my brain.<p>

Now to something less disturbing (depending on how you see it), I have everything planned until the end and if everything goes as I'm planning it, this story will have six more chapters to go. I'll probably upload more frequently now, every two weeks or so. If I don't, I demand of you to send me angry PMs to get my ass moving. If I don't upload every two weeks, it's probably cause I forgot.

By the way, can anyone help me translate the lyrics of two or three Japanese songs? My Japanese is only good enough to get the gist of the songs and to know what they're about, but not to translate the lyrics word for word. Two of the songs are by Sugiyama Noriaki, Sasuke's voice actor, and the other one is by Morikubo Showtaro, Shikamaru's voice actor. There's another one by Sai's voice actor, Hino Satoshi. Not sure yet if I need it though. There's a reward too: a sneak peek of the next few chapters. Or the first chapter of my upcoming story, if you'd prefer that. Or the first chapter of an unpublished story about Sasuke going on a, to him, shitty family trip to an Old West town (in Japan) where a certain blond works. Or all of that. You decide.

Next chapter: ?

– Murasaki B


	34. Crashing Waves

Heeeeeeeeeey! I know this chapter is shorter than the last few ones, but I'm only starting to get back into this story properly. The previous chapter was such a mess, while this one was pretty easy to write because I set specific times for myself to write and only write. I didn't stop until I got a few decent paragraphs down.

To **Titan**: Y u no have account so I can spam you with luuuurv? But seriously, I agree with absolutely everything you say. I know that one of the biggest flaws in my writing style is that I tend to repeat myself. I consciously combat it most of the time, but I also tend to be too out of it to notice what I'm doing. I'm a night writer, so I often end up writing hours past midnight. I actually thought you were going to point out more flaws of this story because _I_ see so many flaws in it, but I guess that's just me being overly pessimistic. If people didn't keep telling me that this story is awesome, I would think it's extremely flawed in many ways (I do anyway, now that I think about it).

And I'm half American, so I don't usually get very annoyed by other Americans. At least I try to. The Hitler jokes aren't that bad anymore, in my opinion. My guy friends (all German) keep making Hitler jokes all the time. One of them even impersonates him sometimes and we'll laugh about it. It's pretty hilarious actually. I've learned to not mind ignorant people and trolls and not let them bother me. Most of the time they're younger and much dumber than me anyway. I honestly don't feel threatened or bothered by people that aren't very intelligent. I simply laugh at their pitiful attempts at making themselves seem smarter than they actually are.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXIV<span>  
><span>– Crashing Waves –<span>

At this time of the day, the streets were utterly packed. People pushed past Naruto and cars brought the usual traffic noise to the streets. It comforted the blond a little since he was certain he was being followed. Even though the way to Itachi's place wasn't long, he still could feel the occasional prickling sensation in the back of his neck telling him that someone was walking very close behind him. Much closer than _usual_. Using the many people around the blond as a disguise, someone was hot on his tails, following his every movement with his eyes. It felt like torture.

There were moments when Naruto wished the guy would just attack him and get it over with. Then he would have the certainty of who was following him all the time. But it seemed like it wouldn't go that way. As if knowing that the uncertainty was killing the blond on the inside, this guy was staying close enough that Naruto knew he was _there_, but not close enough that when he turned he could see anyone suspicious. And Naruto knew that as soon as he got somewhere with less people, he would be _taken_, as his stalker had put it once. This knowledge, _knowing_ he would be attacked soon, was causing Naruto's composure to deteriorate rapidly. His mind was beginning to cloud with panic, pushing away the determination he had found after calling up Kyuubi to find out where to look for Itachi. He had been burning with the resolve to find a way to help Sasuke. Now he felt pathetic for yet again succumbing to fear. He kept telling himself that having a stalker _should_ inflict fear, but each time someone so much as brushed him, he would cringe and feel an explosion of adrenaline pump through his veins, making his heart hammer with anxiety and his hands tremble with the rush.

Soon, Naruto was walking into the more prestigious part of Konoha. The apartment buildings here looked much more polished and modern than the ones he had just walked by and it was definitely less crowded. The stores were starting to look more and more expensive and exclusive, the cars beginning to become a lot fancier. The people passing him weren't simple workers anymore, instead he could only see people wearing suits and business outfits. He felt a little out of place in his hoodie and jeans, but Naruto carried on either way. The people surrounding him gave him a little bit of security since he knew that his pursuer wasn't stupid enough as to attack where people could see. As long as he wasn't alone, he was fine. And as long as he kept obscuring his face with his hood so people wouldn't recognize who he was, he wouldn't have to deal with people glaring at him or intentionally bumping into him and knocking him over. Really, he was finding the attitude of Konoha's people towards him ridiculous. But at least now he understood why they mistrusted him and somewhat feared his presence. Now that he knew why everyone hated Kyuubi, he could somewhat understand their opinion of him, the kid that had talked of Kyuubi as a friend. He had stood up for the redhead and spoke of him as an important person to him. No wonder people thought Naruto must be like Kyuubi at least a little.

Too late Naruto noticed how much he was wandering off with his thoughts. He nearly stopped walking and stumbled a little when he noticed where he was, but he forced himself to go on to not show any sign of weakness. Naruto had deviated from his initial route and ended up going straight the entire time without taking a turn like he was supposed to, so now he was walking past huge mansions with tall brick fences surrounding the properties. Fences tall enough that if anyone were to look out of their window from their mansion, they wouldn't see the teen. They wouldn't see him being attacked.

He had to get back into the shopping area and go from there. But that meant turning back and going the way he had come from. And that meant possibly running into his pursuer. No, he _definitely_ would run into him. It only became clearer when Naruto could hear a second set of foot steps aside from his own right behind him.

They were coming closer and closer, louder and louder. Slowly closing in on the walking blond, the prickling sensation spreading from the back of Naruto's neck to his entire back.

Suddenly, Naruto stopped. And so did the footsteps.

For a while, Naruto merely listened, wondering if perhaps it had been just his imagination. It was dead silent. He was so far into the mansion district now that the sound of traffic and people was completely gone. He was in the middle of a place void of sound. His thoughts were interrupted when he could hear shifting behind him, barely a few feet away from him.

Naruto suddenly turned around. His eyes quickly trailed over the scenery, the street he had just crossed, the mansions to both sides, the tall fences. He couldn't find anything.

Beginning to question his sanity, the blond pondered simply walking back to the shopping area and ignoring the feeling of someone following him. Flexing his fists, the blond cautiously took a step forward.

There was that shifting noise again.

He wasn't imaging anything at all. Someone _was _following him, but refusing to show their face directly.

The guy was smart. In case Naruto got away, he didn't want his face known and opted to ambush the blond when he had no chance to see him directly. This could only mean one thing: the guy wasn't intending to simply mess with Naruto and then let him go. Whatever he was planning, it could only end badly for Naruto.

Knowing this, Naruto tensed and felt his entire body lock up, his feet seeming stuck to the ground. Clenching his fists, he slowly came to terms with the fact that his follower wasn't just some maniac. He was capable of taking out two trained policemen and enter into the blond's school without anyone noticing someone suspicious. He had done something like this before, which meant that if he wanted Naruto dead, Naruto would have died already. All he was doing was playing with the blond, enjoying his misery, his panic, his fear. He wanted Naruto to break before he took him.

The realization struck Naruto like lightning. His life wasn't in his own hands anymore. It hadn't been for a long time. He was being toyed with. He wasn't as inconspicuous with his emotions as he had thought he was. Otherwise, his follower wouldn't be still toying with him. It forced Naruto to make a decision he knew he would regret later but was necessary at the moment.

"Hey…" he forced out weakly, knowing full well that the fear in his voice was clear as day, "I know you're following me and that you're enjoying getting this kind of reaction out of me. But…" As soon as his thoughts came back to Sasuke and his initial intention of coming here, Naruto could feel some of the fear disperse. "But I have something important to do right now."

There was more shifting, the sound of shoes scraping against asphalt, but no one appeared.

"So… give me some time to deal with this." Naruto gulped, feeling his throat close up as if trying to keep in the words he was going to say, the words that would seal his fate. "Give me three days. After that… you can do whatever you want. It's annoying having me run away all the time, right?" Surprised at the sudden confidence and strength in his voice, Naruto straightened up a little and forced his hands to stop trembling. "Just give me three days and I'll come to you willingly."

Wind ruffled the blond's hair as the silence following his words stretched out seemingly forever. It was if his pursuer had suddenly disappeared altogether and suddenly Naruto felt relief, thinking that perhaps it had all been his imagination. Maybe these steps he had heard were just the lingering fear that had stuck with him at all times when he had lived with Mizuki. Maybe the thought of Mizuki following him around had caused his paranoia to skyrocket. Maybe none of what had happened had been real. Maybe it had all just been his mind making up things.

"Three days."

The voice startled Naruto to the core, the blond immediately recognizing it. The voice of his stalker. Hearing his voice, those words sealing his fate, caused a jolt to run through his entire body like an ice prick piercing him from head to toe. Ears ringing, heart racing, Naruto slowly sank to his knees as he listened to the sound of someone leaving, the footsteps he had heard becoming more distant and quieter. So long until there was only silence again.

It hadn't been his imagination.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sakura…"<p>

The pink-haired girl immediately picked up on the uncertainty in Kiba's voice and instantly knew this was about Naruto. She had found it weird that Kiba would suddenly sit beside her in class, but seeing how Naruto was suddenly gone after coming to school with her, it made sense. "What?" she whispered, knowing full well she couldn't show her own anxiety on her face. She knew exactly was what paining Naruto. She understood.

"Naruto left after he saw Sasuke," Kiba whispered, keeping his eyes on Kakashi all the time, careful not to give himself away. "Something happened, right?" Kiba wasn't stupid. Even though people pegged him as slow and dense, which he was most of the time, when it came to important things like his friends, he could be sharp. "You know, since you girls always have your girls' nights, I thought we guys should do something like that too. Shikamaru, Chouji, Naruto and me were going to go to Shikamaru's place and have a sleepover there in a week, but Naruto just called and said he wants to do it tomorrow all of a sudden. That maniac Gaara is gone too. Seems kind of weird to me."

Sakura simply refused to show any reaction, wondering wether or not she should tell Kiba about what was going on. She had no doubt that when it came to Naruto, Kiba was the one she should confide in, but this also involved Sasuke. And this wasn't just any issue. This was about an attempted murder. "I think he's not feeling well," she mumbled, eyes downcast. "When I picked him up this morning, he was a mess." It wasn't a lie. Perhaps Sakura could sneak her way out of this by pretending not to know anything. And then she could do something about Naruto and Sasuke. She didn't care about school right now. The only reason she was still here was because she had thought she should keep an eye on the two morons. Too late she had noticed that both were suddenly absent. Kiba would only grow even more suspicious if she suddenly got up and left now.

"Don't give me that bullshit," Kiba growled under his breath, unable to keep a sneer from forming on his face as he kept staring straight ahead. "I know that you know what's going on. Something's up."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sakura flinched a little when Kiba suddenly slammed his hand onto her desk, causing her to look up at him in surprise, eyes widening when she saw the angered glare directed at her.

"I told you not to give me shit," he hissed, knowing full well that he had the attention of the entire class on him now. "I have _eyes_, you know. Whatever is bothering Naruto is bothering you too."

"Kiba…" Kakashi drawled lazily, looking up from his book to stare at the brunet.

When Kiba met the man's eyes, about to retort, he noticed Kakashi's eyes slightly narrowing, eyebrows creasing. The man seemed genuinely angry. But somehow Kiba felt as if the anger wasn't directed at him. When his teacher slightly jerked his chin towards him, he settled back into his seat quietly, feeling as if his suspicions had been confirmed. Something was going on and Kakashi was involved.

* * *

><p>Naruto really hadn't thought that ringing a doorbell could ever be so difficult. Whenever his fingers were just inches away from the small button, he would suddenly have doubts and back down again.<p>

_Three days_.

Without another thought, Naruto suddenly rang the doorbell, surprised at his own action a little. It was as if his hand had moved on its own. Now he could only hope Itachi was really there and wait until the door would open. He began shuffling his feet nervously when seconds kept passing without anyone opening or even any noise reaching his ears, indicating someone was there at all. Beginning to fumble with his fingers, Naruto had a sinking feeling that no one would open up. This was his last hope, his last resort. If Itachi wasn't here, then where was he?

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when the door suddenly opened without any warning. His jaw dropped a little when he came face to face with a slightly older version of Sasuke. The man's features were a little sharper than Sasuke's, the most distinguishing trait the very noticeable tear-troughs beneath his eyes. He looked a bit sickly. "Um…"

"Naruto-kun?"

Despite being slightly baffled at the gentleness of the man's voice, Naruto nodded hesitantly.

Itachi eyed the teen for a second, before stepping away from the door and silently inviting the blond in with a gesture of his hand.

Only briefly wondering about this behavior, Naruto nodded and quickly stepped inside. He hastily closed the door behind him and took off his shoes to follow Itachi, who was shuffling away quietly. The way the man was behaving was worrying him a little. He seemed like a ghost, blending into his surroundings, which made him seem as though he would disappear any second. "Uh… So…" Naruto was standing in what had to be the living room now, judging from the fancy looking seating area and the ginormous bookshelf taking up an entire wall. Deciding to just sit down, the blond quickly dropped onto a comfy looking black couch across from the man in a sleek armchair. He gulped, recalling why he had come. "I came to ask you about Sasuke," he stated confidently, knowing he was glaring a little at the man, but finding that he couldn't care less.

Until then, Itachi had been eyeing something behind the blond, but after the words had left Naruto's mouth, he was looking at the teen with a tiny smirk. A smirk that was oh so familiar. "How is my little brother?"

Naruto clenched his fists resting on his knees, finding it hard to keep up eye contact with the man and eventually breaking it. Although the man blended into his surroundings, his eyes were sharp and seemed to pierce him with their intensity. "He's…" After a few seconds of him not answering, Naruto could hear Itachi sigh. Surprised, he lifted his head to look at the other, finding a hint of remorse on Itachi's face. "Tell me… what exactly happened to your parents," he demanded. Right now, he just _couldn't_ care about being polite. "Tell me everything."

Itachi's slightly stiff posture relaxed then, his arms uncrossing and loosely dropping onto his knees. He shifted forward a little and leaned onto his knees. "As you may know, around ten years ago, when Sasuke was six, our entire family was killed, including my parents. The one who killed everyone…"

"Was it you?" Naruto didn't know why he had asked. Until meeting Itachi, the way the Uchiha family had died had been a mystery to him as well. But somehow, seeing the way Itachi's face changed saying the words, had made it clear to him what had happened. He didn't even need Itachi to confirm it. The way Sasuke used to react once his brother was mentioned was confirmation enough. "But you regret it." Being with Kyuubi for such a long time, a man who killed people on a regular basis without feeling any sort of remorse, had made Naruto a bit more sensitive to the way someone's face would change when talking about the act of killing.

For a while, Itachi let his surprise show a little in his eyes, but soon regained his composure. "You are right. I did kill my entire family." A frown suddenly formed on the man's face, showing an anger he had probably been keeping in for a while. "But I was tricked into thinking that I was doing it for the greater good. I was made to believe that letting the Uchiha family do as they pleased would eventually lead to Konoha's downfall."

Naruto opted not to ask any questions for once. It was difficult not to urge the man on or to comment at all, but one thing those years with Mizuki had taught him was knowing when the time was to simply shut up. And now was that time.

"As you may know, the Uchiha had their own political party and had a lot of influence in any major decisions made in Konoha. Unfortunately, they were not satisfied with the power they had. At some point, Danzo, the head of another political party, approached me and warned me that the Uchiha were planning to go against the Hokage and… kill him. For weeks he would approach me and try to convince me that the only way to keep Konoha safe would be to kill every last member of the Uchiha family. Of course I outright refused. Who in their right mind would kill their entire family?"

Noting the foreboding way in which Itachi spoke, Naruto perked up, trying to figure out what exactly the other was hinting at. It took him a while in which he merely stared at the man with a contemplative look, but then it struck him. "You… You weren't…"

"I _wasn't_ in my right mind." A wry smile curled Itachi's lips when the man saw how much his words startled the blond. "I suppose Sasuke told you about the disease that runs in our family. Aside from that, there is another thing that Uchiha are very prone to."

Naruto was starting to think that he didn't want to hear this. Whatever Itachi was going to reveal, there was a chance it would affect Sasuke as well.

"Uchiha tend to develop mental disorders."

Shaking his head, Naruto realized that he should have expected this kind of thing. He should have know that it really _could_ get worse.

"I for example suffer from schizophrenia. It is not severe nowadays, but it was when Danzo approached me. His wild accusations were only making it worse and his logic was starting to make sense to me. So I eventually gave in. Only when Sasuke stood before me, I realized that I couldn't kill my emotions after all and eliminate the entire family. I had to spare him." Itachi's slight smile never faltered, even when Naruto shot him a disbelieving look. "After the incident, Sasuke stayed with me for a few years not knowing who had killed our parents. I think you can imagine how he reacted when he did."

"He went apeshit on you?" Naruto couldn't suppress a smile when Itachi chuckled, although he knew that from here on out, the story would probably go downhill.

"I suppose you could call it that," the man smiled, looking down at his hands. "He immediately moved out and went to an acquaintance. A man named Orochimaru. I'm not certain what exactly happened in the three years he was there. All I know is that when he eventually came back to me a few months ago, he had changed. Someone had apparently told him what exactly happened and he began craving revenge. He wants to avenge not only our family and our parents, but me as well."

"Isn't there…" Gulping, Naruto nervously watched as Itachi slowly straightened up and looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Isn't there any other way? I mean… Does this mean Sasuke really was the one that…" The blond choked on his own words, feeling as if not uttering them would perhaps result in his suspicions not being confirmed at all.

"I think it is safe to assume that my little brother was the one that attacked Danzo yesterday."

"But–"

"I'll rephrase: I'm absolutely _certain_ that it was Sasuke."

Naruto froze when Itachi gave him a hard look, seeming intent on seeing every single detail of the blond's reaction. The way the teen's eyes quickly darkened, how he slowly dropped his head until his bangs were obscuring his eyes, how he clenched his jaw, tightly pressed together lips trembling.

"I can see that you care deeply for my little brother. But I can also see that you have problems with accepting his actions. Will you still be able to go after him, now that you know all this?"

After taking a deep breath and slowly breathing out, Naruto raised his head back up to lock eyes with Itachi, still finding that hard look being sent at him. "I… I can't just abandon him because he made a wrong decision. That's not what a friend is supposed to do. Now, of all times, I have to stick with him. I've made so many wrong decisions, but he still stayed with me and never gave me up. I can't just give him up either." Naruto felt as if some of the heavy atmosphere weighing him down had lifted, which was why he didn't expect the other's next question.

"Are you chasing after him because you feel as though you owe him or because you genuinely care?"

When Naruto quickly opened his mouth to quickly utter the, to him, only right answer, he suddenly stopped himself and hesitated. Was this really his reason? Did he really care about Sasuke enough to keep chasing after him even when he was heading straight to his own demise and possibly taking Naruto down with him? Or was he doing this to repay Sasuke? Looking at Itachi, Naruto knew he couldn't lie. Even if his answer wasn't satisfactory, being dishonest would probably only make it worse. "Both… I guess. Is that wrong?" The judging look still didn't leave Itachi's face and for a second Naruto expected the man to throw him out and tell him to never get near Sasuke again with he way he was silently staring at him. But then the other suddenly smiled again, that small shift of his lips.

"I suppose that suffices as an answer."

Naruto jumped a little when Itachi slowly got up from the armchair after he had sat there not moving a muscle when they talked. His eyes followed the man as he slowly strolled through the room towards the gigantic bookshelf and stopped in front of it, not making a sound at all. He wasn't sure if he was seeing right, but for a second Naruto thought Itachi was just standing there running his fingers down the back of a single book. But before he could be certain Itachi pulled out one of the books, grabbed something from in between the pages, then closed the book again and put it back. He then turned after eyeing the object in his hands and made his way back to Naruto. Instead of sitting back down in his armchair, he sat down beside the blond on the couch and held out a white envelope.

"Give this to him when you see him." Itachi's voice was soft and gentle again, lacking that sharp edge his tone had had before. "It may help changing his mind." He chuckled under his breath when Naruto turned the simple envelope in his hands, eyeing each side closely and obviously finding nothing special. Itachi knew the blond was probably dying to know what was inside the envelope but trusted him enough to know that Naruto wouldn't look at it without his permission. His gaze suddenly became a little harsher again. "Naruto-kun…"

The heavy atmosphere was back in an instant and Naruto nearly sighed since he knew that this was something serious again. Instead of answering, he merely locked eyes with Itachi, not trusting his voice right now.

"Sasuke is probably recovering, so he will not try anything today. The soonest he will make another attempt is tomorrow. He will probably try to sneak into the special section of the hospital Danzo is in and ambush him."

"If it's a special section, does that mean it's guarded?" Naruto was starting to think he was in some bad action flick. He could easily picture himself an agent chasing an assassin. Which he was, in a way.

"It probably will be, but Sasuke will probably get a hold of the hospital's blueprints and find a safe way inside."

"How?" Naruto simply asked, knowing full well that Sasuke wasn't some kind of sneaky ninja that would be able to crawl through ventilation shafts without making noise or silently knock out guards. At least, as far as he knew.

"I told you how much power the Uchiha originally held. They are founding members of Konoha, so naturally, we own most of Konoha's blueprints. The only blueprints we don't own are those of buildings that have been built after… what happened."

Naruto merely nodded, starting to understand how Sasuke was going about things. If what Itachi was saying was true, _anything_ was possible to the two brothers. "There's something I'm curious about." Naruto waited for some kind of response, but received none and supposed Itachi was simply waiting for him to ask away. "You're with Akatsuki, right?"

"Correct."

Slightly nervous, Naruto began fumbling around with the envelope in his hand, restlessly turning it over in his hands. "It's a criminal organization, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily."

"What?" This was a surprise. From what Madara had told Naruto, Akatsuki was involved with highly criminal activities. Activities that gave Akatsuki a high level of influence.

"I suppose Madara-san didn't tell you what exactly I do." Itachi seemed a little amused, as if he was used to this kind reaction. "In Akatsuki, I can use my remaining influence as an Uchiha very effectively. Mainly to uphold a certain influence, so that the Uchiha's legacy does not go to waste completely. Being with Akatsuki helps me keep an eye on Danzo as well. Otherwise, he would have done something to Sasuke long ago. I try not to get involved in Madara's doings, but sometimes there is no helping it."

"So you _are_ a criminal." Naruto knew he was supposed to be disturbed and probably trying to escape as fast as possible. But Itachi didn't seem like he was going to attack him, so he decided to keep his calm and listen.

"That depends on your definition of a criminal. Are criminals people who _do_ evil things or are criminals people who _are_ evil?"

"There's a difference?"

Itachi eyed Naruto's clueless expression for a while, before smiling to himself. "Perhaps you will understand later."

Face scrunching up in disgruntlement, Naruto glared at the other for a while before finally relaxing. "I only have one last question," he suddenly mumbled, eyes hardening as he felt a sense of anger bubbling up from his guts. He waited until Itachi was looking at him intently, then tore his eyes away from the envelope in his hands to lock gazes with the man. "Why haven't you ever gone against Danzo? He used your disorder against you! Isn't there something like insanity defense? Doesn't that apply to you?"

"Sasuke asked the same exact thing," Itachi chuckled, looking down at the floor. "Don't you think I would have done something if I _could_? It's not always as easy as it seems. Danzo is a powerful man, even after having his party dissolute and being imprisoned."

"Imprisoned?" Naruto mumbled under his breath, suddenly recalling a faint memory in which he had heard the man's name before. After a while, Sai's face suddenly popped up in his mind and he knew where he had heard the name _Danzo_ before. "He's a child molester!"

Itachi seemed a little taken aback at the answer, but regained his composure quickly. "Yes, but the public doesn't know that. To the public he is the owner of the children's home in which employees were molesting children. He was imprisoned for that, not the child molestation. He was accused of it, of course, but no solid evidence could be found."

"But Sai… I thought he told the police everything!"

"I suppose this Sai is the one who revealed what was happening. But as I said, Danzo is a powerful man. The only way I can explain this is that he perhaps had people backing up whatever he was saying even though it wasn't true."

"Then what did he keep you quiet with? What stopped you from punishing the one that killed your family?"

"He knew that I hadn't killed everyone. He used Sasuke against me. We made a deal and decided not to reveal the other. As long as I didn't say anything about Danzo's crimes or the crimes of any of his employees, he wouldn't say anything about mine and leave Sasuke alone. Especially his right-hand-man, Mizuki, would keep putting pressure on me."

"What?"

Itachi, stunned by the strange reaction, glanced at the blond to find utter bewilderment on the teen's face. "Mizuki?" he repeated simply. "He was Danzo's employee at the children's home. He left after adopting some unfortunate child but remained in contact with Danzo, as far as I know." The man's eyebrows creased together in slight confusion when Naruto lowered his head, expression unreadable with his bangs hiding his eyes.

All this new knowledge was suddenly making Naruto feel as though his head would explode. A lot of things suddenly made sense, more than they had his entire life. "_I'm_ that unfortunate child," he forced out shakily, nibbling on his lower lip once he clamped his mouth shut.

Itachi visibly paled, his already fair face gaining an ashy color. His eyes, until then barely showing what he was feeling, slowly widened and displayed his growing horror. "You are Minato-san's and Kushina-san's child, aren't you?"

Unable to give the man a verbal response at the moment, Naruto kept his head lowered and slowly nodded instead, eyes trained on the wooden floor.

For the first time, Itachi's composure slipped completely and he slumped together a little, still leaning on his knees. The man lowered his head much like Naruto was, his fingers threading together and clenching hard enough they began to shake. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he mumbled quietly, barely concealed remorse lining his voice. "I'm so sorry." Pressing his entangled fingers to his forehead, Itachi sighed. "Under normal circumstances, a single man like Mizuki would have never gotten to adopt a child legally. It must have been Danzo's doing. Mizuki always… had a thing for blonds."

_Is that how it is? _Naruto wanted to yell at Itachi._ So I was sacrificed for Sasuke?_ He wanted to throw all the insults running through his mind at the man. _Some _unfortunate_ child, huh?_ Naruto wanted to smash that beautiful bookshelf of his and bash in the glass top of the couch table in front of him. He wanted to be angry at _someone_. But more than anything, he couldn't stand the waves of this tormenting feeling crashing over him like a dark ocean trying to drag him down into its deep depths. He couldn't grasp what he was feeling at the moment. He was angry and sad and disappointed, yet he felt empty. It was a strange feeling. And he knew that Itachi was already beating himself up enough over what had happened to him. So he held back. "It's not your fault."

Slowly, Itachi removed his hands from his forehead to look at the blond beside him who had lifted his head back up to shoot the man a hesitant smile, albeit a small one. Closing his eyes, Itachi sighed once again, before fixing the blond with an intense stare. "I wish I could do something about this."

"Mizuki's going to be dealt with, don't worry." Naruto's smile widened just a little when Itachi nodded slightly, before getting up from the couch. He silently followed the man to the front door, burying his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He nervously fumbled at its zipper when Itachi placed a hand on the door handle, but didn't open the door.

"I guess this is goodbye," he suddenly murmured, turning around to face the blond. Shooting the teen a smile, Itachi finally opened the door and let Naruto walk past him. "Can you give Sasuke one last thing?"

Naruto was distracted from his inner turmoil for a moment when he saw Itachi smile like that and curiously raised his brows. "Sure." He nearly choked on his spit when Itachi suddenly reached out towards him, two fingers inching closer and closer to his face, only to poke his forehead. "The fuck," he mumbled, rubbing the now aching spot on his forehead. "What was that for?"

Itachi merely laughed quietly, ruffling the blond's hair. "Please pass that on to him." When he stopped ruffling the blond's hair, his hand remained where it was and the man instead began to gently pat down Naruto's mussed up hair. "Ask him to forgive me."

Once again, Naruto couldn't help but glare at the man. He was being treated like a kid! He was about to retort and fling an insult at the brunet, but then his mouth shut abruptly when he found that the stroking motion of the man's hand on his head was quite pleasant. "Sure," he drawled, leaning his head into the other's hand. His eyes nearly drooped closed, but then Itachi's laughter suddenly reached his ears and snapped him out of it. And it wasn't just a chuckle, but actual laughter. Quiet and very muted, but still laughter. It immediately lifted Naruto's mood and let him forget why he had come in the first place. Naruto couldn't help but frown when Itachi removed his hand from his hair and suddenly wondered if having an older brother was like this. He found that he liked Itachi a lot, regardless of his mistakes in the past. Maybe once everything was fine again, Naruto would get to hang out with the Uchiha brothers and watch Sasuke being with his older brother. If Itachi was treating him like this, he supposed Itachi treated Sasuke the same. He really couldn't wait to see that!

"Be careful."

Naruto nodded, beaming at Itachi and carefully slipping the envelope into his backpack. "I promise to beat some sense into Sasuke," he grinned as he turned to leave. "Don't hate me if I bring him back with a few broken bones."

"I'll see about that."

Chuckling, Naruto took a last look at the tranquil smile on Itachi's face, then ran off before he could change his mind and go back to snuggle the man. Itachi just seemed very snuggly.

Naruto was nearly skipping down the sidewalk when he finally remembered why he wasn't in school. Why he had come here. Why he didn't feel the familiar prickling sensation on the back of his neck. "Guess I have to call Kiba about that sleepover."

* * *

><p>This is unbelievable. I actually finished this chapter within five days. And being the perfectionist I am, I let it sit for another week or so in case I find any mistakes or decide to change anything. The last time I finished a chapter this fast was when I started this story and could write entire chapters in two days. Although back then the chapters were a lot shorter than they are now.<p>

So far, this is one of my favorite chapters. I wasn't planning to bring in Itachi in this way. He was going to definitely show up sooner or later, but I didn't expect him to turn out this way. He just wrote himself… kinda… I have no control over what I write most of the time, in case you haven't noticed yet. Half of the scenes I write just happen.

Next chapter: Day 1

– Murasaki B


	35. Day 1

Do he got a booty?

HE DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Now that that's cleared, I apologize for breaking my promise. I really thought I could manage updating every two weeks, but I just can't. These following chapters are very extensive and intricate, so they're much harder to write than the past ones. I improvised at least 80% of this chapter and wrote most of it on a whim, which is why this took so long (the only scenes I was actually planning to write were the first and last one). It takes me longer to write if I'm writing without knowing what I'm writing. Ya na'm sayin'?

Anyway, vacation also got in the way and me, my mom and my sister ended up getting the most shittiest room you could get. The pillows either smelled like piss or feet, the bathroom almost constantly smelled like poop, it was boring as hell, my mom and my sister didn't like the AC running because they're little sissies and constantly nagged at me about it and apparently, the people in Curaçao don't converse like normal people do, you know, close to each other and in an acceptable volume, NO! THEY YELL AT EACH OTHER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR ROOM WHILE STANDING WAY TOO FAR APART FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING BUT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A FUCKING WORD! THANK YOU PEOPLE OF CURAÇAO FOR LETTING ME LISTEN TO YOUR CONVERSATIONS THE ENTIRE GODDAMN DAY!

The rage…

Enjoy the chapter. Uh… please?

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXV<span>  
><span>Day 1<span>

His Saturday couldn't have started worse.

First Naruto had rolled out of bed and been rudely awoken by a tender kiss from the cold, hard floor. Then, Iruka had of course stormed up to see if anything was wrong, only to find a whimpering blond tending to his rapidly reddening nose. After having a bandaid with little colorful dinosaurs slapped across his face, Naruto had gone down to eat breakfast and on his way into the kitchen somehow managed to knock over a chair, fall into the table, then rip down whatever had been on the tabletop. Two glasses, one plate and several pieces of cutlery had joined him on his second descend to the floor, one specific knife barely falling short of castrating him in the process. Once everything had been brought back to order and the teen finally got to start eating, Naruto had nearly choked on a piece of apple. He had been seriously fearing for his life until Iruka had started pounding on his back in panic, knocking the breath out of him, but eventually managing to dislodge the food from his throat. Now discouraged from trying to sate his hunger, Naruto had decided to just head out to the convenience store down the street. He still needed to get snacks for the sleepover at Shikamaru's later.

Now, Naruto was walking down the sidewalk, almost suspecting to walk into the next disaster. Perhaps the neighbor's dog would finally manage to break out and attack him. Maybe he would stumble and make acquaintance with the asphalt. Maybe a humongous meteorite would decide to fall right where he was walking. Who knew?

Just when Naruto was starting to feel safe after walking for two minutes without anything happening, he heard a foreboding rumbling above him. Looking up into the sky, he saw the sun quickly disappear behind a thick layer of dark clouds, instantly dipping the city in a depressing semi-darkness. "Don't you dare," Naruto mumbled under his breath, defiantly glaring up at the sky. Just when the last word left his lips, the blond felt something wet drip on his nose.

The next moment, it was as though the sky had broken apart. A dense mass of water suddenly came crashing down on the teen, instantly drenching him. It was so thick even, Naruto felt as if he had been slapped across the face by a backhand of water. For a moment longer he simply stood there angrily glaring up at the sky, rapidly blinking away the rain drops falling into his eyes. Going out without a coat really hadn't been such a good idea.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he mumbled hoarsely, dropping his head. Sighing heavily, he continued on his way towards the next shop, not even bothering to get there quickly. He couldn't get any wetter than he already was after all. Naruto solemnly shuffled towards the bright neon light he could already see from a distance, beckoning him into the depths of cheap food and unhealthy snacks. Strands of sopping wet blond hair kept splashing into his eyes and every few seconds he would push back his bangs, only for them to spring back in place seconds later to bitch-slap him. He almost walked right into the store's glass door while his blond hair was obstructing his view. When he stepped into the bright store, a bell chimed lightly above his head and a soft gust of warm air washed over him from above. It sent a weird shiver down his spine, although the sudden warmth was a nice change.

Naruto was dripping water all over the tiled floor as he shuffled through the rows of shelfs, but he couldn't get himself to care. He would let it be someone else's problem. The blond let his eyes lazily trail over the display of colorful packagings and cartons, stopping only when he arrived in the snack section. Knowing Chouji would bring his arsenal of potato chips anyway, he opted to take some candy instead, taking out as many bags as he could carry. Just when he was taking the last bag, someone tapped his shoulder from behind, making him flinch and slowly turn around.

"So it _was_ you."

"Huh?" Upon recognizing the other, Naruto's eyebrows nearly rose to his hairline. "Sai? What're you doing here?"

"Getting… hm… how do you call it? Comfort food?"

Blond eyebrows shifted again, now displaying confusion. "Why would you need comfort food?" Only now Naruto noticed the three large tubs of ice cream in the other's arms. One chocolate, the other two some colorful blend of flavors.

"Well, I read in a book that if people feel bad they will get comfort foods like ice cream and eat until they feel better. I thought maybe if I did the same I'd feel better too."

Cocking his head, Naruto eyed the other curiously for a second, deeming the brunet not as freaky as he had thought originally. He seemed okay enough. "Why aren't you feeling good? Did something happen?" Perhaps it was connected to the reason Sai was here and not in Akatsuki. Naruto was used to seeing him with Suigetsu all the time, so it was weird seeing the older teen by himself. "Does it have to do with Suigetsu?"

Sai had been intently eyeing the colorful ice cream tubs in his arms until then, but as soon as Suigetsu's name was mentioned, he froze up, usually passive eyes darkening.

"Something happened with Suigetsu, huh?" Naruto almost laughed when he saw the pouty frown forming on the other's face, suddenly finding the brunet rather child-like, although Sai was a year older than him.

Sighing quietly, Sai fixed the blond with an unreadable look, before his eyes wandered up to eye the droopy blond hair still dripping with rain. "Did you get everything you want?"

Briefly stunned by the sudden change of topic, Naruto glanced down at his packed arms and nodded sheepishly. "Can't really carry any more."

"Then let's go to the cash register." Without waiting for any response, Sai suddenly turned on the spot and walked away, Naruto hurriedly following him.

Naruto wanted to ask what exactly was wrong, especially now that Sai was acting so weirdly. Now he was _really_ curious. Suigetsu wasn't dead, was he? It would somewhat explain Sai's behavior. But that would be too extreme. Still pondering, Naruto barely noticed the brunet snatching a thin towel from a shelf on their way to the cash register. After a short walk they arrived at the register and, since nobody else was there, had soon payed for their items and were on their way to the exit. Before they could pass the door threshold though, Sai stopped the blond.

"What is it?" Naruto inquired quietly, only to find something being thrown over his head. He felt inclined to swat away whatever was covering his face, but stopped himself when he realized that Sai was just rubbing his hair dry. So that was why he had bought the towel. "Thanks," he chuckled, waiting patiently for the other to finish.

"You reek like a wet dog," Sai dead-panned, eyes uncaring when he removed the towel from the now slightly drier and much messier blond hair. "Someone has to take care of that mess you call hair or else others would fall victim to the stench."

"How heroic of you," Naruto growled, suppressing the urge to punch that flawless pale face. He simply pushed past the other and went outside while Sai dropped the towel back into his plastic bag. And again, Naruto found himself engulfed by a mass of water, the rain relentlessly pounding down on him. Now that he looked, he noticed that he couldn't even see ten feet ahead. Anything beyond was obscured by the dense rain. Just when he was about to mumble curses to himself, the rain suddenly stopped and warmth pressed against his back. Looking up, he found a black umbrella protecting him from the rain and when he turned around a little, he came face to face with Sai's weird smile. "Th-Thanks."

"Where do you live? I'll walk you."

For a second, Naruto wanted to turn down the brunet, but quickly decided against it when he heard another, much louder thunder roll above him. This was quickly turning into a full-blown thunder storm. One he didn't want to be openly exposed to, even if the walk home only took five minutes. "Just down this street. You don't have to though."

"I don't mind. I live close by anyway."

Naruto simply nodded, falling in step with Sai as he began to walk away. For a while, he simply watched the rain and tried to avoid the muddy puddles forming on the sidewalk. With time passing, small streams were forming on the street, steady flows of rain water rushing down the asphalt. "So… what happened? Did you fight with Suigetsu?" When Naruto looked at the brunet with a sideways glance, he found that expression from earlier on the slightly taller teen's face, those slightly darkened eyes.

"I left Akatsuki."

Now this, Naruto hadn't expected. Out of all things, _this_ he had expected the least. "You did? Just like that?"

"Not just like that," Sai smiled, lips curving up just a little. "I had some help. From someone you know as well."

"Who?" Dense as he was, Naruto couldn't connect the dots. There really were only a few people Naruto knew of that worked in Akatsuki besides Suigetsu and Sai. And Itachi didn't even know Sai.

"He'll probably tell you himself when the time is right."

Slowly but surely, Naruto was getting sick of people knowing things he didn't. All these mysteries were getting on his nerves, especially since they had to do with himself. "What're you talking about?" he moaned, although he knew Sai wouldn't tell him _anything_ if he was at least a little like Kakashi and Gaara.

And Sai did just that. Smiling and staying silent.

Sighing to himself, Naruto kicked at the asphalt as he walked, hands buried in his pockets. The gloomy weather was starting to match his mood more and more, the sky now much darker than when he had left home. Suddenly, a smile broke out on the blond's as he thought of the place he was going back to. The place he could call home. A few months ago, he probably would have felt lost and lonely, wallowing in his misery. Especially at the thought of who he was returning to. But now he was going back home, to Iruka, with someone he was starting to consider a friend beside him. Although he had already packed his things to stay with Kakashi, Naruto still looked forward to spending some time with Iruka. Iruka had insisted on him staying, saying that having Naruto stay wasn't a big problem, but Naruto knew of the extra shifts Iruka was working to earn the money to feed them both. He really couldn't go on like this and have Iruka overwork himself like that. And although he felt sad about leaving, he was looking forward to staying with Kakashi somehow. The man seemed very laid back and fun to be with, so Naruto was even a little giddy about getting to know him better.

Naruto was distracted from his pleasant thoughts by Sai suddenly bending forward to look straight at his face, eyebrows creased in confusion. With his smile slowly fading, Naruto was stunned into silence for a moment when the other suddenly stopped, forcing the teen to stop as well to not walk out of the protection of the umbrella Sai was holding. Naruto watched as the brunet frantically switched between looking at him and then their surroundings, seeming desperate to figure something out. "Sai?"

Sai halted his frantic glancing about to look at the blond, lips forming a barely noticeable frown. "Do you like rain?"

Slowly but surely, Naruto was getting a little tired of Sai's weird way of thinking, the way his thought process worked so differently compared to other people's. "I don't think so," he sighed. "Why should I?"

"You were smiling." The expression on Sai's face slowly morphed from confused into unreadable and blank, the teen's head slightly dipping down, eyes shifting to stare down at the wet asphalt. "Suigetsu likes rain," he mumbled quietly, barely loud enough for Naruto to hear. "I always thought it was very strange. Every time it rains people only ever complain, but Suigetsu always goes outside when it rains. He'll stay outside for hours and let it rain on him. I'll always have to drag him back inside so he doesn't get hypothermia, _again_."

Naruto fell in step with Sai as he began to walk again, smiling as he intently watched the very subtle changes in the other's expression. It was difficult, but Naruto could understand them a little, those little shifts in the brunet's exterior. "You miss him, don't you?"

Slightly puzzled, Sai looked at the blond beside him, cocking his head. "Miss… him?"

"That's why you're feeling bad right now," Naruto explained, feeling just a tiny bit awkward about having to explain something so simple to someone older than him. "You miss him and you feel bad, so you're trying to make yourself feel better by eating ice cream. But the only way to feel better is to talk to Suigetsu. Whatever has happened between you two, you need to work it out or else you'll only feel worse."

"I'm going to feel worse?"

Naruto almost laughed at the horror he picked up in Sai's tone. "Yeah. So you need to go to Suigetsu and talk to him." For a second, Naruto considered putting his hand on Sai's shoulder in a comforting manner, but seeing how socially retarded Sai was, he decided against it since the brunet would probably misunderstand anyway. "Won't you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help."

Sai stared at Naruto with a contemplating look for a moment, before nodding and taking a deep breath. "I got sick of the things I was forced to do in Akatsuki. After Suigetsu told me that you left for good I…" Sai's fingers clenched tightly around the umbrella he was holding, eyes narrowing slightly, "I began to think about what it would be like outside Akatsuki. All my life, I've been locked up somewhere and doing whatever I was told to do. I didn't mind that kind of lifestyle until meeting you. I think Suigetsu thought the same way."

This confession made Naruto feel as if the ground was being torn away from beneath his feet. He hadn't even had a real conversation with Sai before and now he was hearing that he had had such a heavy influence on Sai, even causing him to leave Akatsuki. It was mind-blowing, to say the least.

"A few days ago, I had a customer," Sai continued, unaware of Naruto's state of shock. "A regular. For the first time, I… refused. I didn't want to be treated that way anymore. I didn't… want to be treated like a product that can be purchased. For the first time, I felt as if the treatment I was receiving was unfair and that I didn't deserve it. So I asked Suigetsu to leave with me. But Suigetsu didn't want to come. We fought. At least I think so. He hit me."

With growing unease Naruto watched as Sai absentmindedly placed a hand against his cheek, probably the spot where Suigetsu had hit him. This was a little different than what Naruto had expected. He had thought that this was a falling out between the two that would be resolved if they just talked it out, but this obviously was an issue beyond his understanding. He didn't even know how much Suigetsu cared about Sai, all he knew was that Sai seemed to care a great deal about Suigetsu. "How much do you care about Suigetsu?"

Sai seemed a little stunned at the question, dropping his hand from his face and seeming to wander off with his thoughts. "Suigetsu…" he mumbled, suddenly appearing unaware of Naruto walking beside him, instead absorbed in whatever he was thinking about. "I initially befriended him because he reminded me of my older brother, even though he was younger than me. They look similar. But later… Later I realized that they were similar in character as well. Very obnoxious and brash. A lot like you."

Naruto groaned at the insult, barely holding his tongue since he suspected Sai wasn't intending to insult him. This really wasn't the time for that.

"At least from what Suigetsu told me," Sai commented, slowly returning from whatever daze he had been in. "The only times I've ever seen you before you were being a whiny wuss."

Really, Sai was probably not intending to insult him. He was just very straight-forward and had no social sense at all. At least Naruto tried to tell himself that.

"I would have liked to slap you many times, you know. You were acting so pathetic and ridiculous. Do you even have a penis?"

"Okay, that's it!" Naruto roared, launching a fist at Sai's face, only to slip on the wet asphalt and land ass-first in a puddle. "Shit…" Glaring up at Sai, Naruto slowly got back to his feet. "Don't say a word," he warned with a poisonous scowl. His scowl intensified when Sai merely smiled at him, seeming genuinely amused. It did little to ease Naruto's frustration and he began to angrily stalk away, hearing the other follow him. Suddenly, the blond thought back to his conversation with Itachi, remembering one thing they had discussed, one thing that had crushed something in his chest. "Sai…"

Even Sai, the social retard, picked up on the sudden change in mood. His smile slipped away immediately when he saw the gloomy expression on Naruto's face. "Yes?"

Naruto seemed a little hesitant about whatever he wanted to ask, nervously scratching the back of his head. "Do you, by any chance… know someone called Mizuki?"

"Mizuki?" Sai repeated, expression a little surprised before becoming contemplative instead. "It does sound familiar." Hand gingerly placed against his jaw, Sai's expression slowly became more and more thoughtful. Suddenly his eyes narrowed, eyebrows pulling together into a slight scowl. "He was an acquaintance of Danzo-san, the owner of the orphanage I used to be in. He sometimes came and talked to him before leaving again. To me, he seemed to be one of Danzo-san's subordinates, a very loyal one at that. One of the children once overheard him talking about a boy he had adopted and it seems that was what he usually talked about with Danzo-sama." Naruto not responding at all seemed to disturb Sai a little, since he curiously glanced at the blond after a while of silence. "Naruto?"

A bitter smile pulled at Naruto's lips, his eyes suddenly dull and distant. "So he talked about me," he mumbled darkly, eyes downcast, shoulders slumped.

The realization upon coming to understand those words almost had Sai stop walking again, but he quickly regained his composure and stared ahead. "Then the father you talked about…" He trailed off, a little uncertain about what exactly he was supposed to ask. It was obvious even to him that this was a touchy topic to Naruto and he didn't want to make the blond feel even worse.

Naruto nodded in response to Sai's unasked question, clutching the plastic bag in his hand tightly and slowly coming to a stop when he realized that he had arrived in front of Iruka's home. _His_ home. "We're there," he murmured hoarsely, wary about looking at Sai's face. He didn't quite know wether or not Sai knew what was paining him and he was a little afraid of falling victim to the brunet's bluntness at the moment.

"Do you want to share this ice cream with me?"

A little surprised at the innocent request, Naruto looked up to see Sai holding out the plastic bag containing the tubs of ice cream he had bought earlier. He couldn't help but smile back when he saw the genuine, albeit small, smile on Sai's face. "Sure," he shrugged, inviting the brunet into his home.

Inside, Iruka greeted the blond in his usual doting manner and was introduced to Sai. His surprise at the spontaneous visit quickly turned into delight when he became witness of the playful banter between the two and could later sneakily watch them share a tub of ice cream. Obscured from their view in the kitchen, the man drank in the sight of the two teens sitting on the couch and fighting over the ice cream, Naruto's loud protests and curses echoing throughout the entire house. It made Iruka chuckle to himself, seeing how it had been a long time since Naruto had brought any new friends home.

It was a heartwarming sight, Sai constantly teasing Naruto and nearly driving him to the brink of insanity with his jabs. It reminded Iruka of old times. Of those times when he had been still teaching Naruto in elementary school. Those times when he would watch Naruto interact like this with a certain Uchiha.

* * *

><p>"This is the kitchen," Kakashi drawled in his usual lazy tone. "Don't break anything." The man pointed his finger towards another room. "That's the living room. Don't break anything." He seemed to not mind the scowl directed at him as he pointed yet another room out. The scowl that was intensifying with each word he said. "That's the bathroom. Don't break anything."<p>

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto growled, arms crossed, expression angered. Really, this had been going on ever since he had set foot in the small apartment. It was a bit smaller than he had imagined, but still bigger than Iruka's. Three guesses why Kakashi was able to afford a more expensive home compared to Iruka despite doing nearly the same job.

"Those are the stairs. Don't break them."

"How would I even break a staircase!"

"Just make sure you don't break it."

Naruto was starting to think that this man suffered from some sort of mental illness. He couldn't decide wether Kakashi was just pretending to be a total retard to annoy him or genuinely suffered from mental retardation. "I _won't_ break anything, I promise."

"Good." Kakashi nodded, taking the heavy bag from the blond's shoulder. "The guest room is upstairs," he explained, walking up said staircase with the blond following him upstairs. "Don't break it."

"I'm not gonna break anything!" Naruto roared, feeling his face grow hot with anger. Really, was Kakashi _trying_ to make him mad? "Just show me the damn room."

"Sure," the man waved off as if Naruto wasn't cursing all sorts of apocalyptic plagues upon him with all his being. He stopped walking in front one of the three doors in the corridor, pushing it open with the worn wood creaking. "It's a small room but it'll do, I hope."

Naruto stepped into the sparse room and found a bed against the left side and a desk against the right, a few small shelfs strewn around. A thick sheen of dust covered everything. "When was the last time you were in here?" Naruto questioned warily, already exasperated. He didn't have to look to know that Kakashi was probably donning a mock look of pondering.

"Not sure."

"So never," Naruto immediately shot back, taking his bag from Kakashi and placing it on the just as dusty floor. "You could have cleaned at least a little. I'm your guest, right?"

"Yes, and you're also my student." Kakashi said this with a finality as if it was a justified reason for putting the blond in a dusty hell hole.

Slowly, Naruto was grasping where this was going. And what he was grasping definitely didn't sound pleasant at all. "And I'm supposed to clean this shit."

"Language, my precious little student," Kakashi warned, suddenly producing various cleaning utensils out of thin air. "Here, start right away so you're done in time to get to that pajama party of yours."

"It's not a pajama party," Naruto snorted, reluctantly taking the tools and rags handed to him. "Pajama parties are for eight-year-old girls with too much time and too much money. What _we're_ doing is a simple sleepover." Noticing the man produce yet another thing seemingly out of thin air, Naruto smirked mischievously. "Just hanging out and partying all night long with booze, crack and whores."

"Yeah, sure. Have fun braiding each other's hair and stuff like that." Kakashi walked out of the room then, nose dug deep in that dirty book of his again. He was unreceptive to anything Naruto said at the moment.

Really, with Kakashi being the one to invite him in as a guest, Naruto had expected to be treated as such and not like the man's maid. Next thing he knew, Kakashi would come in with a maid's outfit and tell him to prance around cleaning in it all day. The blond shuddered a little at the thought, a certain memory of Mizuki crawling up on him all of a sudden.

"Naruto?"

The teen nearly high-tailed it out of the next window in shock when Kakashi suddenly reappeared in the door, face as aloof as ever. "What?" he hissed slowly, still frazzled.

"Hm…" For a moment, Kakashi looked thoughtful, before fixing the blond with his gaze. "I got cake. So… if you want any, ya know… come get it."

As soon as the words had left the man's mouth, Naruto was out of the room and bounding down the stairs yelling _Cake!_ at the top of his lungs. Naruto had been wrong. He had been horribly mistaken! Living with Kakashi was _awesome_!

* * *

><p>Seeing the trees passing by, the buildings slowly becoming smaller in the distance, the sky steadily losing its orange hue and turning pitch black, it all served to put Naruto in a calm mood. All of a sudden, all the things he had taken for granted seemed oh so precious. The stores he was driving by in Kakashi's car, the people walking along the street, the way the city was slowly going to sleep, they suddenly seemed so nostalgic, like a memory of the past. Something Naruto remembered from times long ago.<p>

Pressing his temple against the cool glass of the car window, Naruto sighed quietly to himself, eyes parting from the passing scenery outside. Slowly, he had to come to terms with the fact that he may have to say goodbye to all this. To the stores, the people, the place he had grown up in. To Konoha. To his friends. His family.

"Naruto…"

It took a few seconds for the blond to acknowledge the soft call of his name, the realization that Kakashi's voice sounded weirdly solemn hitting him only when he saw the matching expression on the man's face. "What?"

Kakashi suddenly parked the car in a side street, a distance away from the Nara household. It was eerily quiet. "Whatever you're planning to do, don't do it."

Naruto wanted to voice his confusion, but his throat suddenly closed up and deemed him mute. What was Kakashi talking about? What did he know? Was he aware of Naruto's plans? But how?

"I have an idea of what you're planning to do, Naruto," Kakashi continued, eyes hard as he glared out of the windshield. "And I know once you've put your mind to something, I can't stop you. But please, rethink this. There are other ways."

"What other ways?" Naruto bit out, glaring as well now, unwilling to look the man straight in the face. Kakashi knew what was going on. The man wouldn't say how or why, all Naruto knew was that Kakashi was involved somehow. "This has been going on for _months_ and nothing has happened. This guy obviously isn't just a regular stalker. He's something else. Something I can't handle otherwise."

"But this is going too far, Naruto. Way too far."

Naruto knew that. He knew Kakashi was right. But what was he supposed to do? He had been lying awake last night doubting his decision, trying to find another way, but considering that this person wasn't a regular stalker, there was really no other way than to confront him head on. Taking someone with him was out of question since in that case, the guy wouldn't even show up. Naruto now was certain that this person didn't follow him for the sake of it, but to approach him when the time was right. When there was no chance of Naruto getting away. Before other people could get involved, before anyone beside him was hurt, he had to…

"Just wait a little longer," Kakashi pleaded after a minute of silence with Naruto wordlessly staring down at his lap with a dark expression. "I'm sure–"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto knew he sounded so much unlike his usual self. So much like his past self. He didn't want to look to see what expression Kakashi was directing at him at the moment. "Thanks for driving me." The blond pushed open the car's door and moved out of the car, only to have a hand larger than his own wrap around his wrist and stop him from leaving.

"I'm not going to let you walk away from me like this again."

Naruto froze in place, one leg already out of car, the only thing stopping him those warm fingers around his wrists. Clenching his fists, Naruto told himself to tear his arm out of the hold, yet he remained still as a statue. Kakashi's hand on his skin suddenly seemed to burn him, the warmth seeping from the man's body scorching him. Naruto gulped, feeling a sudden onslaught of nausea. What was this? This situation… It felt familiar.

"I'm not going to let you go like this."

_"I'm not letting you go back to that bastard."_

Naruto suddenly whipped around in the passenger seat to come face to face with Kakashi's fierce gaze, his own blue eyes holding nothing but bewilderment and shock. The blond didn't resist when his arm was pulled slightly, dragging him back into the car a little. "You…"

The white-haired man's gaze softened a little, his tight grip around the blond's wrist loosening a little, but not disappearing. Watching the confusion and shock flitter across Naruto's face for a moment, Kakashi slowly reached up his other hand and pressed his palm flat against the teen's forehead. Gaze distant, he slowly pushed Naruto's bangs up to reveal the skin beneath. His thumb lingered on a certain spot, hand freezing in place where it sat above Naruto's forehead now. "It left a scar after all," he mumbled, stroking over the dark line running along the blond's hairline close to his temple.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto was trying, but he couldn't understand any of this at all. He knew deep down that there was something between Kakashi and him, something he had forgotten, but he couldn't, for the life of him, remember any of it. Despite Kakashi having been nothing but suspicious and creepy before, Naruto had never found it hard to trust the man. There hadn't been a single moment where he had been genuinely afraid of Kakashi in any way. There _had_ to be reason. "Why do I trust you so fucking much?" With his arm being gripped like this, leaving an impossible thing at the moment, Naruto usually wouldn't be able to remain so calm. If this was anyone else, Naruto would feel uncomfortable. Trapped.

"The first time we met is already quite far in the past, so I'm not upset that you don't remember." Kakashi slowly took his hand off Naruto's head and released the teen's arm, but not before pulling the blond in further and leaning over to close the door Naruto had opened. "We met the first time when you were twelve," he drawled in that aloof way of his, settling back into his seat, certain now that Naruto wouldn't try to leave. "I was going through the new books at my usual bookstore."

"You were looking at porn, weren't you?"

"Oh, shush, you. You're ruining this beautiful story." After sending the blond a _look_, Kakashi returned to gazing out of the windshield in a bored manner. "As I was saying, I was going through the new books at my usual bookstore, _not_ about to enter the adult's section to snatch the new book of my favorite series." Ignoring the mocking snort beside him, Kakashi continued. "I was just standing there, reading, minding my own business, when the bell of the front door chimed and announced the entry of another customer. I paid it no mind, of course. I had more important things to deal with it."

Naruto could clearly see the dirty things running through the man's head for a second. He didn't even want to imagine them.

"At first, I didn't care to look who entered the store. At least until this certain someone was standing beside me all of a sudden and glaring at me. Was a little twerp. A really tiny one. I tried to ignore the brat, but then it suddenly started firing questions at me. Wether I knew who the author of the book I was looking at even was and if I had any idea what meaning that book had. _Of course I know the author_, I said. _He's the author I worship for writing the greatest series of novels in the history of novels._"

There was a brief flash of something in Naruto's mind, something very hazy and vague. The sound of pages turning, the thud of books being dropped on tables, the sound of people slipping dictionaries and novels back in between rows of books. The scent of worn paper suddenly came to mind. That prominent scent a large collection of both old and new books gave off.

"It went back and forth like that for a while and the brat just kept getting pissier. I was about to lecture the little guy when I noticed how messy he looked, like he came straight from the street. Instead of lecturing him, I pulled down the hood he was hiding almost his entire face with. Looked like he was drowning in it. When I looked him in the eye then I thought he was gonna piss himself. He definitely looked about ready to. He tried to pull the hood back over his face, but I stopped him when I noticed the bloody bandaid on his forehead. It was so soaked with blood, it started dripping all of a sudden. I didn't even have time to be shocked cause then the kid suddenly fainted on me. He didn't have any identification on him, no phone, not a thing to give me a clue about where I should bring him back to. So I took him to my home. I patched up the nasty gash on his forehead and put him on the couch. It took only half an hour before the kid woke up. And being the curious person I am, I didn't just let him go like he wanted to. Instead, I sat his ass back down on my couch and forced him to answer me a few questions."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at that. He could easily picture that, Kakashi putting a little kid on his couch and questioning him like a criminal, yet seeming aloof and a little bored all the while.

"I eventually found out that the kid's father tended to throw things, preferably _at_ him. I told him that he had a concussion and that he shouldn't be walking around bookstores like he had been. When I tried to convince him to go to the police with me, he kicked me in the balls and ran away. Little bastard even started crying to distract me and then used that moment when I was off guard. By the time I recovered from that surprisingly powerful kick, he was gone."

Kakashi paused then for a moment, causing Naruto to look at him curiously. Was that the end of the story? It couldn't be. There was more to this and if Kakashi was suddenly pausing like that… then the rest of the story probably wasn't pretty. And indeed, Kakashi continued after a moment of utter silence.

"I didn't think I'd ever see him again, but lo and behold, he suddenly appeared before me again. At the same bookstore and at pretty much the same shelf. This time his lip was busted and his left shoulder was dislocated. He didn't faint, but I took him back to my apartment anyway and patched him up. And this time, he told me his name." Kakashi turned his head to send Naruto that eye smile of his, his expression calm and almost gleeful. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Although he had known all along that this story was about him and Kakashi meeting, the revelation stunned Naruto. But it wasn't the words Kakashi had said, it was the way he had said them in. He looked so happy saying his name, as if that moment when Naruto had told him his name was something extremely precious to him.

"This kind of thing then happened a few more times. You would seek me out in the bookstore, I would take you home and tend to your wounds and despite me trying to convince you otherwise, you would always return to…" Kakashi's gaze suddenly darkened, the man turning his head back around to gaze forward again, "to your _father_." Composing himself, Kakashi remained silent for only a moment. "You would always find ways to escape me somehow. By pulling silly pranks on me to distract me, by sneaking away and escaping through the window, by _attacking_ my _precious_ manhood. Somehow, you would always get away." Again, Kakashi silenced for a moment, seeming to drift away with his thoughts momentarily. "Your wounds were only getting worse. I considered calling the police each time, but you would force me to promise not to. Without you giving any testimony or without any actual proof, nothing could be done anyway. At some point, I noticed… your injuries changing. Instead of broken or sprained bones and injuries in your face, you came to me with countless bruises on your arms and legs. You would shy away from my touch sometimes, you talked less. It didn't take long for me to figure out what was going on. And then I really called the police. And again, you managed to run away without me being able to hold you back. After that day… I didn't see you for a long time."

Naruto was silent for a moment, waiting to see if Kakashi was going to say anything. When the man remained silent, the blond gulped nervously. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Kakashi lowered his head slightly, eyes narrowing in a tired manner. "Sometimes, adults do stupid things thinking they're protecting others that way," he drawled. "Sometimes they decide to do so for themselves, sometimes it's simply their job."

"What are you saying?" Bewildered, Naruto searched the man's face, knowing Kakashi was hiding something big. Working with Akatsuki, running around as a policeman at night, teaching literature at his school, being a single guy in a small apartment, which one was the real Kakashi?

Kakashi remained wordless for a long time, staring out at the street ahead with a tired expression, but not seeming to look at anything specific. After a while, his shoulders drooped a little and the man seemed to relax. "I'm part of a police force specialized in investigating crimes involving sexual assault," Kakashi suddenly explained, face passive. "I noticed that your case was assigned to us a few months ago. I immediately had myself assigned to your case and to be able to stay on it, you had to remain unaware of who I am, otherwise I would have been pulled off your case for being involved personally. The higher-ups would have deemed me unable to act in an objective way. I wasn't assigned to be an actual bodyguard, just to investigate what was happening around you. Especially now that the police is out for Mizuki's miserable ass, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. That's also the reason I want you to move in with me. I want to be sure that you're safe. I don't want to watch you walk away from me again and leave me worrying about your safety."

Doubt clearly showed on Naruto's face, his eyebrows pulled together into a confused frown. "Why do you care so much about me?" he eventually questioned quietly, shaking his head. "I kicked you in the balls."

Kakashi merely chuckled, briefly looking forward again at the empty and gloomy street in front of them, before connecting gazes with Naruto. "We both like the same author," he mumbled, letting his head drop back against the headrest of his seat. "Isn't that reason enough?"

Eyeing the man for a while, Naruto couldn't help but smirk back at the man. "I guess."

For a moment, it was silent in the car. Only the occasional car driving by disturbed the silence, but after a while, Kakashi began rummaging around his dashboard. At some point, he ended up opening the small glove compartment in front of Naruto. When it fell open, it revealed stacks of books, their contents something Naruto didn't even have to guess about.

Shooting an innocent look at the blond, Kakashi pulled out a worn book from the very back and held it out to the blond. "Here," he smiled as he dropped the book into Naruto's hands. "I think you should have this."

Just when Naruto was about to ask him what was up with this crappy-looking book, Kakashi suddenly turned the car back on and began driving again, the motor roaring as it jolted into action. Thinking that Kakashi wouldn't answer him even if he asked, Naruto shrugged and opened the worn book, looking at the title. _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. _A weird title. For a second, Naruto pondered asking Kakashi wether he had given him the wrong book, but then his eyes caught the name of the author. "Jiraiya…" he murmured, eyes widening slowly. With a sudden fervor, he flipped past a few pages, beginning to read the first chapter. He thought he saw Kakashi smirk from the corner of his eyes, but it could have been his imagination. When he read through the first few sentences, one thing quickly had him freeze up and his heartbeat pick up. There, black on white, in this book Jiraiya must have written eons ago, was his name. His name, Naruto, was the name of the main character in this book. When he read further, he quickly realized that the Naruto of this book was an admirable young man. Brave, strong and with an unwavering resolve to never give up. He was a little like Jiraiya.

Reading these words made Naruto remember hearing them read to him in a deep baritone voice. Read in an entrancing way in the dim light of a warm room.

Naruto had thought that before meeting him in the onsen, he had only seen Jiraiya once, but now he realized that he had met the man many times before. In a time when Mizuki hadn't touched him in any wrong way yet. When Naruto had been somewhat happy. Jiraiya had always been more of a father to him that Mizuki could ever be, reading stories to him and telling him of the things he had seen during his countless travels around the world. He suddenly remembered the many times he had begged Jiraiya to take him away from Mizuki, who he had always disliked. Jiraiya would always laugh that loud, booming laugh of his and turn him down, like any sensible adult would have done. Naruto could still remember the man ruffling his hair with a then enormous hand and telling him that when he grew up, he would take him with him to show him the world. Jiraiya had always seemed like such a giant back then and Naruto had believed that if he sat on the man's shoulders, he could touch the sky.

"We're there," Kakashi suddenly interrupted Naruto's wallowing in memories. He was definitely smiling underneath that mask of his. Kakashi's gaze suddenly seemed very relaxed, almost as though the man was relieved, as though a heavy burden had been taken from his shoulders. Before Naruto could even ask him anything, the man cut him off. "Now get out and have your little pajama party."

"It's not a pajama party!" Naruto barked exasperatedly, for a second considering whacking Kakashi with the book in his hand. "We're just hanging out and sleeping in the same room."

"Yeah, yeah." Although the blond was glaring at him angrily, Kakashi chuckled and nudged the blond's shoulders. "Don't you have somewhere to go?"

Naruto mumbled a "Jerk" to himself as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door. He jumped out of the car, grabbed his bag from the backseat and was about to throw the door shut, when Kakashi once again stopped him.

"Naruto," the man called softly, just when the door was about to close. He watched as the blond opened the door back up to stare at him with a slight frown. Kakashi seemed almost hesitant to say what he wanted to say, scratching his head as he briefly stared at his car's dashboard. His smile seemed almost embarrassed when he finally looked at the blond again. "Let's go ice skating this winter."

Until then passive eyes widened a fraction as Naruto sucked in a breath, staring at his teacher incredulously for a moment, trying to comprehend the meaning of those words. "I…" He couldn't agree to that. Not with what he was planning to do. If worst came to worst, he wouldn't be there anymore by the time winter came around. "I can't ice skate."

"No worries then," Kakashi beamed. "I can't either. We'll just learn together."

Pressing his lips together tightly to stop them from trembling, Naruto gripped the edge of the car's door he was holding on to. He could feel the tears welling up, could feel his hands shaking, could feel his resolve crumble. "I'll just fall."

_No matter what I do, I always end up hurting others._

Kakashi's beaming expression simmered down into a small smile that remained hidden underneath his mask. Suddenly, it seemed as though Kakashi was the center of the world, as if only he existed in this dark city, as though he was the only thing remaining in this dark night. Like the light at the end of a tunnel. "Then I'll catch you."

Dropping his head, Naruto nodded slowly and carefully released his painfully tight grip on the car door. "Okay." Naruto took a step away from the car, his hand still holding on to the car's door. "See you tomorrow," he quickly forced out, not even waiting for Kakashi to reply in any way before he threw the door shut. His pace was quick as he almost jogged towards the front entrance of the enormous Nara complex. His feet nearly flew over the pavement. Although he couldn't see, the blond knew exactly that Kakashi was watching him. That he would stay there in his car watching him until he was safe and sound inside Shikamaru's home. Only then Kakashi would leave. He was a policeman after all.

* * *

><p>"Shit…"<p>

Both Naruto and Kiba perked up hearing Shikamaru swear as he came into the room. It wasn't as though the teen never swore, but when he did, it was usually because of something serious. Therefor, they naturally felt uneasy.

"What is it?" Kiba questioned, slightly worried. He spotted what looked to be a futon in the brunet's hands.

Shikamaru gave the two an apologetic look, holding out the futon. "This is the ass futon."

"What?" Naruto couldn't help but laugh a bit when he asked, smirking as Shikamaru scrunched up his nose a bit.

"This futon smells like ass for some reason, no matter how many times we wash it," the brunet explained, dropping the futon onto the floor. "I know we still have one futon big enough for two people to sleep on, but maybe we still have two small ones leftover. Do you want me to search for more single ones or do you guys mind sleeping on one futon together?"

Naruto's smile slowly faded as he briefly glanced sideways at Kiba, who was sitting next to him on the floor of Shikamaru's large room. They hadn't talked much ever since meeting again in Shikamaru's house, only exchanged a few sentences and nothing more. They hadn't talked much with each other when they had all watched a few movies together either, not even when they later had come into Shikamaru's room to play video games. Naruto honestly didn't know what his relationship with the brunet was anymore. A few days earlier they had been something other than friends, but not quite a couple. Something indefinable. But now…

"It would be great if you could get those single futons," Kiba eventually replied with a strained smile.

Nodding, Shikamaru picked up the _ass futon_ and left the room again, Chouji calling for him from downstairs and asking for food. Apparently, no amount of bags of chips he had brought had been enough to last him an entire night.

Just like a minute ago, both Kiba and Naruto were left in awkward silence with neither knowing what to talk about. What had happened to the times when they could talk about anything? About insignificant things as well as about profound things, although slightly dumbed down. What were they now?

"Am I being a bother?"

Kiba's head snapped around to give the blond a both confused and slightly shocked look. He opened his mouth to reply, but his jaw snapped shut just a second later and he turned his head back around to stare down at the floor. Kiba remained silent for a moment, before shrugging. "A bit."

Naruto chuckled dryly, dropping his head. "Sorry." Kiba was mad at him. That, Naruto knew now. Kiba was genuinely upset about always being pushed aside the second Sasuke came. Naruto understood. Anyone would be angry about something like that. It was a given. But that didn't mean Naruto would change.

"You should be thankful to have patient friends like us," Kiba growled, taking a random book lying under Shikamaru's bed and leafing through it without really reading it. "We waited _years_ for you, you dumbass."

When Naruto laughed this time, it was a somewhat happy laugh. "I know," he smiled, briefly glancing at the book Kiba was looking at. "Thanks."

"You really should thank Shikamaru," Kiba suddenly murmured, staring up at the ceiling. "He's been intercepting everyone who was going to hit on you. I don't know why," Here, the brunet gave Naruto a short glare, obviously remembering a certain event in a bathroom, "but somehow, people were trying to approach you with very _indecent_ goals in mind."

Naruto immediately recalled Deidara saying something about _recommending_ him to others. That was what he must have meant. Naruto hadn't even thought about it much and now he suddenly found out that Shikamaru had been protecting him all this time. "Yeah," he sighed, smiling to himself as he pictured Shikamaru telling off dirty-minded peers. "I'm definitely gonna thank him for that."

Kiba slapped the book in his hand shut all of a sudden, returning it to its dusty spot underneath the bed, before leaning back onto his hands. "But I guess without Sasuke, none of this would be happening."

Forcing his gaze away from the floor, Naruto finally dared to look at Kiba directly, finding an unreadably passive expression on the other's face. "I guess so," he mumbled quietly, not exactly certain what he was supposed to say. Sasuke was someone he didn't want to think about at the moment. He had hoped that at least tonight, he would be able to simply forget, even if just for a moment. But the issue with Sasuke was simply much too pressing to forget about it so easily.

"You know…" Kiba trailed off as though he didn't know wether or not he should continue and laid down flat on the floor, arms folded behind his head, "I feel like you and Sasuke would end up meeting each other no matter what universe you're in. If there are parallel worlds, I think you and Sasuke would know each other in all of them. You two just seem like those types of people that would end up with each other no matter what."

Smiling, Naruto laid down beside Kiba, staring up at the blank ceiling as well. It was calming in a way and he suddenly understood the shift in Kiba's behavior compared to the past few hours. Naruto felt himself relax by simply looking at the empty space. "I don't know if that's a bad thing or a good thing." Beside him, Kiba chuckled, but Naruto couldn't tell if it was a genuinely amused one.

"It's a good thing, believe me."

Shocked, Naruto turned his head to look at Kiba in an attempt to figure out what was going on. Was Kiba _urging _him towards Sasuke? Was he taking the decision Naruto would have had to make away from him like this? "You…"

When Kiba turned his head as well to meet the blond's eyes, he flashed Naruto his usual cheeky grin. "I don't even know why I like you in the first place," he laughed, poking the blond in between his eyes. "You're clumsy, oblivious, hot-headed and kinda dumb."

"You mean like you?" Naruto shot back, beaming now as well.

"Shut your mouth, you," Kiba chided jokingly, slapping the blond's chest. "You're not even _that_ hot."

"You know that's not true." Laughing when Kiba pouted like an upset child and mumbled something under his breath, Naruto rolled over on top of the brunet, knocking the breath out of the other. "What was that you said, huh?"

The Inuzuka merely coughed in response, trying in vain to push the blond off of him.

In that exact moment, the door opened and Shikamaru came in with a futon, presumably the one that _didn't_ smell like ass. "What's this?" he inquired, dropping the futon beside the two teens on the floor. "Are you guys being stupid again? In _my_ house?" Without another word, the brunet dropped down on Naruto's back, knocking the breath out of him _and_ Kiba, who was struggling for air now.

"Is this a game?" Chouji wondered as he came into the room as well, shoving chips into his mouth.

When Kiba saw Chouji drop his bag of chips, all color drained from his face and one could see something in his mind snap in fear. "Chouji, what're you doing, man? Hey, wait– No! Stop! What–" Kiba released a pained yell that echoed throughout the entire house the moment Chouji dropped onto the pile of bodies as well.

Below the meaty teen, three other teenagers groaned in pain and complained loudly until Chouji finally released them. Shikamaru regretted letting himself be reigned into this, Naruto was panicking as he tried to get the feeling back into his numb arm and Kiba seemed as though he had passed out. Shikamaru nudged him with his foot, but when he received no response, he declared that it was time to sleep and laid out the futon he had brought _on top_ of Kiba and left it there. No one seemed to mind.

Naruto settled down beside Kiba, while Chouji and Shikamaru prepared their bedding in front of them. It took some time, in which Kiba seemed to regain consciousness and immediately went into a rage at the fact that he had been covered by the ass futon all along. Eventually, the ass futon had been replaced by the large futon on which Kiba and Naruto would sleep. They continued chatting about this and that for a while, much like girls would do during a pajama party, Kiba noted at some point. The comment earned him three pillows simultaneously thrown at his head, nearly knocking him out once again. It took a while, but eventually Shikamaru and Chouji dozed off and although Kiba and Naruto briefly pondered pulling pranks on the two, they too succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep with their limbs tangled awkwardly.

They did decide to pull pranks on the other two at a later time though, if only to get revenge for nearly killing Kiba twice and covering him with the ass futon. Naruto was honestly looking forward to that.

Maybe, if things went well, he could really go ice-skating with Kakashi and pull pranks on his friends with Kiba.

But somewhere deep down, he didn't believe in that kind of pleasant fantasy.

* * *

><p>The end was so… awkward. At least before I edited it. The main reason this chapter took so long to get out was the end being shitty. I couldn't think of any other way to end this chapter and I spent days trying to change it. It took a while, but at least now I don't feel like I want to take out the entire last part because the end sucks so much.<p>

What do we learn from this chapter? Give Naruto anything containing sugar and he'll love you eternally. You would think he'd be wary of strangers with sweets, but nope. Just walk up to him and hand him some candy. He'll worship you.

I'll try to get out the next chapter sooner than this one. It could be out in three weeks or sooner. The heat in Germany is killing me and it's taking all my energy not to spontaneously combust and die. Wish me luck on that.

Next chapter: Day 2

– Murasaki B


	36. Day 2

I shouldn't watch horror movies while writing my stories…

For a second, I thought I should name this chapter _Turds in the Sky _or _Stupid Prick_ or _Fluffy Raccoon_, then I remembered that this chapter already has a name.

I'm considering to just stop responding to reviews. I usually don't get any replies back and if I do, 90% of the times the other person will end up just not replying after a while, so I'm left feeling like an idiot. But I think I'll keep responding to reviews even if I don't get anything back, mostly cause by doing that I've started talking to awesome people that I'm _still _talking to, even after many months.

Warning (totally forgot to put these in other chapters): Violence, slight gore and me being a little prick writer

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXVI<span>  
><span>– Day 2 –<span>

Now that he was looking at the sky like this, calm, with a relaxed mind and comfortably lying on a nice bed of slightly moist grass, Naruto suddenly found it quite interesting to look at. He couldn't see any specific shapes in the clouds, since the fluffy white puffs floating in the all-encompassing sky all seemed to have the same vague shape. They all looked a bit like little turds flying in the sky. Yes, little turds were flying in the sky, Naruto decided.

Throwing an arm over his eyes as he quietly laughed to himself, Naruto realized just how alone he felt all of a sudden. Not only was his stalker gone for good for a while, but he couldn't even contact any of his friends. He couldn't just show up at Sakura's doorstep and waste some time together with her like he used to. He couldn't meet Kiba or Shikamaru or Chouji to go somewhere fun. He couldn't prank call Neji just to annoy him. He couldn't do anything at all. And if he was unlucky, he would never again be able to.

The most important thing at the moment was doing what he had to. Doing what _only_ he could do.

Removing his arm from his face, Naruto slipped a hand into his pocket to pull out his phone. After staring at the dark screen for a while, he turned on the device and read over the text message he had received in the morning. The instructions Itachi had sent him. Where to go, at what time to expect Sasuke to show up, how to act. All that had been entrusted to him by the Uchiha. His heart began to race just thinking of the upcoming events. He tried to think positively, expecting everything to go smoothly, although deep down he knew it wouldn't go like that. Deep down he knew that his chances at failing were much higher than his chances at succeeding.

"Naruto?" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted the utter silence.

Still lying on his back, the blond turned his head to see whoever had called him, slipping his phone back into his pocket in the process. When he caught sight of emerald eyes, he turned onto his stomach to shoot the newcomer a grin. "How did you find me?"

The other smirked, walking a bit closer. "I will always find you."

The laugh that passed Naruto's lips then was a bit strained. "That's nice… I guess." He turned to lie on his back again, watching the other quietly sit down on the grass beside him from the corner of his eyes. "Hey…" Again, Naruto was staring up at the sky, the sky filled with flying turds, "Gaara…"

"Yes?"

Naruto briefly rubbed his eyes, then slowly sat up to properly look the redhead in the face. "Why are you here?" The smile was gone.

Gaara's expression gave away no specific emotion, like it usually did. The redhead simply sat there next to the blond and stared at him with an unreadable look. "I will always be here."

Eyebrows furrowing together, Naruto frowned and hunched his shoulders a bit. What was this? What was going on? Something wasn't right. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"That's simply your opinion. Me being here is for your own good."

Was this real? "Why?"

"I'm stopping you from doing something absolutely retarded."

"What?" For a while, Naruto sat doing nothing but blink stupidly. What had just happened? "I… I thought…"

Gaara tilted his head, seemingly in confusion. "Did you think I was a ghost? A hallucination?"

"Um… no. Of course not." Naruto attempted to laugh in amusement, but failed miserably. "How could I?"

The redhead's eyes narrowed. "I see."

The moment in which Gaara went silent like that made Naruto squirm uncomfortably, wondering if he had done something wrong. Although he was close to Gaara and he considered him a friend, they were still strangers to each other in a way. It was disheartening. They trusted each other with their lives, yet they had close to no real knowledge of each other.

"I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself."

A sense of déjà vu washed over Naruto at the statement, the blond suddenly reminded of the way Kakashi had spoken to him yesterday. Kakashi had reason to be concerned. How he knew of what the teen was planning was still a mystery to him, but Naruto was sure Kakashi had his ways as a police officer in a special unit. What was Gaara's excuse? "What do you know?"

"Enough," the redhead immediately shot back. "I'm not as lenient as Kakashi-san. If I do not want you doing something stupid, I _will_ stop you. Even if I have to hurt you."

Naruto was on his feet in an instant, briefly dizzy and a little wobbly after standing up too fast, yet his fury remained undeterred. "You have no right to do that! Who do you think you are!"

"Your friend."

It suddenly hit Naruto that this was how Sasuke must have felt back in that alley, confronted by a friend, yet remaining determined to go through with whatever reckless goal he was chasing after. Naruto hadn't been able to understand that way of thinking, that outright refusal, but now the realization had been all but slapped across his face. He knew how Sasuke felt now and he knew more than anything how Gaara must be feeling right now. No matter how threatening and scary Gaara's passive glare was, underneath that expression he was afraid. Terrified of losing a dear friend. "I'm sorry, Gaara."

The calm yet threatening expression on Gaara's face made way for a slight scowl, one that let some of the redhead's anxiety and anger show through. "I am not giving you a chance to decide and I am not trying to convince you to give up. I already know you will not. You are a blockhead like that." Gaara ignored the indignant huff and continued. "I simply do not want you to detest me after this."

"What are you trying to do?" the blond bit out warily, suspicious of the direction this was heading into. Was Gaara seriously threatening him?

"I am protecting you." Gaara slowly rose to his feet as well, looming over the blond despite being the same height as him.

When Gaara took a purposeful step towards him, Naruto took one back. His suspicious glare was locked with Gaara's determined gaze, the two slowly creeping around each other like two lions sizing each other up. Naruto didn't know if he could take on Gaara in a serious fight. What little talent and skill he had in hand to hand combat was nothing compared to what power Gaara possessed. A power capable of killing.

The next second Naruto found himself on the ground, back pressed into slightly moist grass and calm eyes piercing him like sharp daggers. In the back of his mind he was aware of Gaara's outstretched hand, ready to strike at his neck to knock him out. He wouldn't have any of that.

Before Gaara could react, Naruto had twisted around enough underneath him to be able to kick against the redhead's stomach, pushing him off long enough for the blond to get to his feet again, albeit slightly dazed. Naruto's thoughts were muddled from the impact of the back of his head against the ground a few seconds earlier. He backed away to put some distance between them, hoping with all his might he could somehow fend Gaara off long enough until the other was distracted and exhausted enough for him to run away successfully. He knew he had more stamina than Gaara, so this really was just a matter of him dodging the other's attacks long enough.

But Gaara was also faster and more agile than him, which was why Naruto was on the ground the next second again. He caught one of Gaara's hands in his own, frantically reaching for the other one to stop him from striking anywhere that would knock him out. The longer this struggle went on, the more Naruto realized something: Gaara wasn't fighting him with all his power. He really was holding himself back in an attempt not to kill him. If Gaara had been trying to kill him, Naruto would already be dead. Gaara probably had never fought against anyone without trying to kill them, which was why his movements weren't as smooth and fast as they could have been. He simply wasn't used to this type of fighting, which was an advantage for Naruto, who finally succeeded in catching Gaara's other hand.

Now Gaara was hovering over him, both his wrists trapped in Naruto's hands. Naruto could see the thought process in Gaara's eyes, the way he was considering possibilities to knock out Naruto without his hands. Naruto doubted there was any way to do that, seeing how the only thing Gaara's could move freely right now was his head–

_Oh…_

Gaara seemed to come to the same conclusion in that instant and Naruto could only watch in horror as the redhead pulled his head back, then suddenly slammed it down against his forehead, hard. Naruto felt as though his head was a bell being hit by a monstrous steel hammer, ringing in white hot pain, pain that seemed to bounce off of the walls of his skull and back inside, before everything blacked out.

* * *

><p>The first thing Naruto noticed when he finally came to was that his head felt as though it had been split apart. Several times. With a rusty spoon.<p>

The next thing he noticed was the darkness. No light, no shapes, no sound. Nothing to tell him where the hell he was.

The last thing he noticed was the fact that wherever he was, was cramped. If he moved just the tiniest bit, he would touch walls that surrounded him on all sides. He wasn't in a coffin, was he? Gaara wouldn't go _that_ far, right? He wouldn't bury him alive just to make sure he didn't go anywhere. Or would he?

Somehow, Naruto couldn't help but trust Gaara to do something like that. Only Gaara could think that Naruto was safer inside a _coffin_ than walking around outside and going after a suicidal prick. A prick he happened to be very fond of and would be upset about if the prick decided to jump off a cliff because life was too harsh on him and he didn't want to accept it. Stupid prick.

After some grumbling to himself for a while, Naruto realized that he wasn't lying down, but standing instead. At least he wasn't buried alive. He sighed in relief at that thought, deciding to push at the wall in front of him to try and free himself. Although he doubted he could get out without–

The next thing greeting Naruto was blinding light and a tender kiss from the floor. He had tumbled out of whatever he was trapped in and crashed down face-first. After slowly getting to his feet, all the way complaining about the several bruises he would, no doubt, later have, he finally glanced around to take in his surroundings. He seemed to be in some sort of storage room since there were brooms and other cleaning utensils strewn around him. Apparently, Gaara had shoved out whatever had been in the cabinet and put Naruto in there instead. Looking around again, Naruto couldn't find any trace of Gaara being there. He would have expected the redhead to guard him, make sure he was okay and wouldn't escape.

Naruto's eyes quickly wandered over to the closed door. Perhaps that one was locked and Gaara was outside guarding him. Huffing to himself about how childish and ridiculous Gaara was being, the blond stalked over to the room's only door and knocked on it lightly with an exasperated frown. "This is stupid, Gaara," he groaned, crossing his arms. "Just let me out. You can't keep me here forever, you know. You'll have to let me out eventually anyway." Naruto waited for some monotonous answer like _This if for your own good_ or _I'm just protecting you_ or _I'm a fluffy raccoon_. Things Gaara would say in a situation like this. But nothing came. "Gaara?" Naruto tried again, knocking a bit harder this time. "Hey!" He tried opening the door, pushing down the handle. To his surprise, it opened with ease and he stepped out onto a long, suffocatingly lonely hallway. This looked familiar. _Too_ familiar. "I'm at school?" Naruto wondered aloud, confusion taking over his features. Although it looked different without masses of people rushing through, the fact that this was a hallway in Konoha Highschool was undeniable. "The hell…" Looking around, Naruto still couldn't find any sign of Gaara being around. Had he just left him here?

When Naruto was about to head for the exit, he finally noticed the sticky feeling on his right hand. Upon looking at his palm, he sucked in a sharp breath, his heart immediately beginning to pump harshly in his chest. After a second of staring at his palm with wide eyes, Naruto rubbed his thumb against his other fingers, feeling the sickly wet texture of whatever was covering his hand. A coppery stench filled his nose, making his stomach churn.

There was blood on his hand. But where had it come from? Turning back to the room he had emerged from just seconds ago, Naruto quickly found the source: the door handle. It was smeared thickly in blood, as though someone had touched it with blood-stained hands. It was fresh, still shockingly red on the cold metal. Was it Gaara's?

Naruto finally dared to pull his eyes away from the door, instead focusing on the floor of the tiny room. The floor where a thick blood stain tainted the once off-white tiles. It looked as though someone with a heavily bleeding wound had been dragged over it. The stain stopped right where Naruto was standing, in the doorframe. Whoever had left that blood there had been disposed of.

Had Gaara disposed of someone trying to get to Naruto? Had Gaara killed his stalker? Why wasn't he here? Had he left to hide the corpse?

Naruto almost fell to his knees when a stabbing pain suddenly shot through his head, making him feel as though his head was being split apart all over again. He shouldn't be thinking so hard. It only caused him more pain. Carefully, Naruto touched his forehead, hissing when he made contact with the tender skin. He could feel the bump that had formed and the all too familiar feeling of a forming bruise. In the past, he would have panicked and thought of ways to cover the bruise up so no one would ask questions, especially Iruka. But he didn't have time for that.

The realization hit Naruto like a sledgehammer to the guts, nearly knocking him off his feet. For how long had he been out? Slightly dreary eyes shot open as Naruto fumbled for his phone to check on the time. It was way past six! He had been out for at least four hours and he barely had twenty minutes left to get to the hospital on time!

Despite Naruto's head feeling as though it would implode any second, the blond put all his strength into forcing his legs to carry him as fast as they could. How was he going to make it on time? The hospital was at least thirty minutes away and he had to be there_ before_ Sasuke tried anything.

Itachi's message had informed him that Sasuke would most likely try to attack Danzo when the guards would change shifts, which was exactly at half past six. The guards would be less concentrated, especially this late in the day. Perhaps they would chat with the other guards and pay less attention to what was going on inside Danzo's room. Itachi had told him of several ways Sasuke would try to break in, all sounding more reckless and unbelievable than the last. From breaking in through the room's window that was at least forty meters above the ground, to knocking out the guards with some sort of gas, to getting in through the ceiling by putting a hole in the floor of the room above, they all would get Sasuke inside, which was why Naruto had to be there before the Uchiha even got a chance to try anything. Sasuke would probably try to get in through the window, since that was the most inconspicuous way. How exactly Sasuke would manage doing that without tragically falling to his gruesome death, Naruto couldn't fathom.

Glancing at his phone to check the time, Naruto blanched seeing that seven minutes had passed. How was he going to make it? He was hungry, exhausted, his legs hurt from being forced to stand in a cramped space while being unconscious and his brain was slowly turning into a useless mush. It was a wonder he was even capable of thinking at all in this condition. If not for this burning in his chest keeping him going, this fire fueling his body to move on, if not for this red hot desire to _throttle_ Sasuke for being such a stupid prick, Naruto would be a slumped mess on the ground, incapable of thought or motion, with a brain of mush and a dead-weight body.

A sudden honking behind him made Naruto stop in his tracks and turn panicked eyes on the car approaching. For a second, his blood ran painfully cold as he was reminded of that eventful night when he had been first chased down by his stalker and found by Kiba. That night that had forever changed his relationship to the Inuzuka. But then he recognized the familiar car and his features brightened just a tiny bit.

The car loudly screeched to a halt next to the blond and after only a second, the passenger door swung open, inviting the teen into the car's dark insides.

"Get in." The voice was gruff and deep, disgruntled.

A certain cold sharpness came along with the words, the harsh tone sending ice-cold chills down Naruto's spine, making him regret ever stopping to get in the car for a second. Although he eased into the passenger seat without hesitation, Naruto couldn't help but feel unsettled. The presence next to him was stifling, almost choking him. "Kyuubi?" Naruto uttered the name quietly, like a whisper in a cold, lonely night. He received no response, no reaction. He felt alone. More than he ever had.

Once the car jolted into motion, the scenery outside flashed by in a blur, houses, trees and people melting together into a hazy mess of colors and shapes. Outside, there was light and freedom. In this car, there was only this cold, tense air that seemed to slowly wrap around Naruto's neck, choking him like a noose.

The ride took only a few minutes and Naruto almost fainted in relief when he could see the hospital in the distance. There were still thirteen minutes left before those guards would change shifts and Sasuke would try something. The suffocating atmosphere of the car though had Naruto's mind instantly cloud with doubt and fear. When the car stopped on the sidewalk next to the hospital, away from prying eyes at the front entrance, Naruto tensed in his seat, limbs going rigid. "Kyu–"

"Get out."

Naruto jolted at the quiet, strained tone, as though Kyuubi was just a second away from ripping his throat out. Eyes trained on the redhead's form, watching out for any sudden movement, Naruto slowly reached for the door handle. Gulping, he opened the door, a shiver running down his spine at the muffled noise of it unlocking. He backed away slowly, carefully inching out of his seat. When he was nearly outside, one foot already on the asphalt, Naruto noticed the way Kyuubi's hands were tightly clutching the steering wheel, knuckles white, his arms shaking from the strain. Naruto thought he could hear how Kyuubi was clenching his teeth.

With a small jump, Naruto was out of the car. The moment he felt himself stand on solid ground with both of his feet, he couldn't help but feel relieved, a silent sigh escaping his lips. But then he glanced at Kyuubi's still form again, the way the usually composed redhead refused to lock eyes with him and seemed just a hair's width away from jumping out of the car to gut him. Naruto stared and stared, seemingly unperturbed by the way Kyuubi was oozing bloody murder. He couldn't pry his eyes away from the redhead.

Right then and there, Naruto made a decision. He realized that he had a responsibility.

Naruto could hear Kyuubi already shifting gears to drive off again, engine roaring, but before the redhead got a chance to leave, the blond was in front of the car, stopping the man from driving. With determination burning in his gaze, Naruto stood with his hands placed on the hood of the car, staring Kyuubi down.

Tantalizingly slow, Kyuubi raised his head, his slender hands on the steering wheel clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Cruel red connected with sky blue and the redhead sneered venomously. "What are you doing?" he hissed through slightly bared teeth, messy bangs nearly obscuring his icy glare.

Clenching his hands on the car's hood into fists, Naruto hesitated for only a second before glaring at the man with a burning determination he hadn't realized he had missed in all these years. "I'm helping you."

Naruto couldn't let others always help him and do nothing in return. He wasn't that kind of person. He couldn't let other people's effort go to waste and just throw his life away either. He had to get through all this alive and repay Kakashi, Gaara, Kiba, Shikamaru and all of his other friends for always saving him when he had been beyond saving. From now on, that was his purpose. He had promised to go ice skating with Kakashi in the winter after all.

Mind set on forcing Kyuubi to get his shit together, Naruto did the dumbest thing one could do in this situation. He marched to the driver's door, wrenched it open and fixed Kyuubi with a glare. He ignored the way Kyuubi's left eye suddenly twitched and how his eyes suddenly seemed to glaze over, as though he was forgetting where he was. As though he was forgetting _who_ he was.

"Kyuubi…" Naruto began, carefully approaching the redhead. An unsettling anxiety lay heavy in his guts when he couldn't see Kyuubi's eyes through his bangs, couldn't determine what the other was about to do.

All of a sudden, Kyuubi was out of the car, Naruto stumbling back to evade being thrown over. Pain exploded in his back when he suddenly found himself being harshly slammed against the side of the car. From the corner of his eyes, he could see something glint in the sunlight. When he looked, his eyes widened in shock seeing a blade fly into his direction.

Instinctively, Naruto reached out his hand to shield himself, a searing pain instantly shooting through his entire arm like a bolt of burning hot lighting. The blade had sliced the skin between his pointer and middle finger, its hilt now in Naruto's grasp, along with Kyuubi's hand.

A sneer suddenly cut through Naruto's momentary panic and anguish.

"You are afraid of me, are you not?" Kyuubi snarled dangerously, crimson eyes wild. "You are afraid I am going to kill you, are you not?"

Hissing in pain when Kyuubi kept pushing the blade into his skin, Naruto struggled to push against the other's hand trying to stab him. "I'm… not…" The blond let out a strained groan, reaching out with his other hand to try and grab Kyuubi's arm to push it away. Instead, his arm was slammed back against the side of the car by Kyuubi's free hand, his wrist now in a painfully tight grip with sharp fingernails digging into his skin and drawing blood. "I know…" Naruto gasped in pain when Kyuubi's blade cut deeper and deeper, blood gushing down his arm, dripping down to form a pool of red on the asphalt, "you're not gonna do it."

"I am killing you right now, you moronic fool!"

"No, you're not." Despite the unbearable pain, despite the panic seeming to surge through his very veins, despite the blood pooling at his feet, Naruto smiled. The hand around his wrist tightened its grip. "I know you won't…" Another pained gasp escaped the teen, "kill me."

The hand around Naruto's wrist very slowly loosened its grip, Kyuubi's hand holding the knife slowly easing up as well. Naruto nearly released a heavy sigh of relief, although a heavy, deafening fear remained in his stomach like a pile of sharp-edged stones.

The soiled knife hit the asphalt, splashing up blood from the small pool of red.

Slender hands suddenly wrapped around Naruto's throat, Kyuubi glaring at the blond with madness raging in his blood-red eyes. The startled teen slipped a little, sliding down the car a few inches, the back of his head loudly knocking against the car with a clank.

"You…" Kyuubi hissed in a hoarse tone, quietly. Tightening his grip around the blond's neck until Naruto began emitting choking noises, the redhead suddenly began pulling the teen forward, only throw him back so his head slammed into the car with a loud metallic bang. Hands tightly wrapped around the blond's neck, he did this again and again and again, the banging sound of Naruto's skull hitting metal growing louder and louder each time.

Naruto's lungs were aching, helpless gasps escaping his mouth, a strange pressure pulling at his face and throat. His eyes were beginning to become unfocused and the hands he had wrapped Kyuubi's arms remained motionless, refusing to hurt the other. Eyes screwed shut in an attempt to block out the pain in vain, he forced one of his eyes open to shoot a glance at Kyuubi. He found nothing but frantic lunacy, detached madness. There was nothing but pure bloodlust in those pools of murderous crimson. Even without him saying it, Naruto knew what Kyuubi was thinking. He could see it in his eyes.

Die…

BANG!

_Die_…

BANG!

Die!

BANG!

DIE!

"Why do you care about me so much?"

Close to passing out, vision gradually darkening, Naruto noted that his head wasn't being slammed into the car anymore. The grip around his neck loosened barely enough for him to be able to talk. For Kyuubi to know this accurately how much pressure he could and couldn't use was slightly disturbing.

It took a few moments for Naruto to regain his bearings enough to register the question. His sight slowly cleared up again, the strange pressure leaving his face and throat. It was difficult and painful, but he was able to gulp in enough air to prevent himself from dying. When he finally registered the other's question, another smile crept onto Naruto's face. Despite the blood running over his neck and down his back, despite his right hand going numb, despite his world slowly turning black, he smiled. "Because you're my family."

Even with his sight still blurred and slightly unfocused, Naruto saw the brief shock flicker across Kyuubi's distorted features. Those lips pulled into a poisonous sneer suddenly easing up and parting in surprise.

"I killed your family."

The smile widened, albeit shakily. "I know," Naruto mumbled tiredly, exhaustion numbing his thoughts and limbs. "That's why you owe me."

* * *

><p>The wind was cold, biting at Konoha's inhabitants with its frigid fingers. Like a deceptively gentle caress, it blew across skin as though trying to cut people with thin blades of freezing air.<p>

"It's been weeks, Naruto."

Naruto parted from the sight of his now bandaged hand to glance at Kyuubi, the redhead sitting next to him on the hood of his car. "You're doing good," he smiled, thinking back to the way Kyuubi had bandaged his hand with the first aid kit from his car just moments ago.

Kyuubi chuckled dryly in response, a weak smirk curling his lips. "Tell that to my dick," he groaned, his smirk turning slightly more lop-sided. "It hasn't gotten any action in weeks either."

Unable to keep in an amused chuckle, Naruto bumped his shoulder against the redhead's. "Let's consider this an addiction. If we do, then you're already past the first step."

"Which is?"

"Admitting that you have a problem."

A contemplative look crossed Kyuubi's features, the redhead apparently genuinely considering the matter. "What's the next step?"

"Dunno," Naruto shrugged. "Abstinence?"

"Step two cleared then."

Naruto's small smiled widened into a genuine grin now, even his eyes lighting up a bit. "Then… try finding a new hobby. Like golfing."

"Sure."

"I bet you're a killer at golf."

The pun didn't go unnoticed by Kyuubi, of course, and the man chuckled darkly.

For a moment, Naruto wordlessly savored the sight of Kyuubi being so relaxed and even a little carefree. After a while, he bumped his shoulder into Kyuubi's again. "I'll come with you, if you want."

Kyuubi remained motionless and silent as he gazed down at the asphalt in front of him. It took some time, but eventually he nodded. "Bitchin'."

With that, the two fell silent again. They quietly sat on the hood of Kyuubi's sleek car, the redhead staring off into the distance with a passive expression and Naruto trying to contain his chuckles.

Maybe now things between them could become _normal_.

* * *

><p>Naruto watched quietly as Kyuubi drove off down the busy street, the blond now a lot calmer than he had been before. The teen still had about ten minutes left before Sasuke would make his move, only little time to settle his chaotic thoughts.<p>

A rumbling sensation in his pocket startled Naruto, before the blond calmed down and pulled his phone out. He had received a text message. A grin immediately came to his face when he read the message and realized who it had come from.

_Make sure to come to our rehearsal for the play tomorrow. I'll kick your ass if you don't! Be careful. –Sakura_

Something told him that Sakura knew exactly what was going on and was trusting him to solve things. She was probably supporting him in some way though. After all, he hadn't received any calls all day. Kiba especially called him everyday, even if it was only to talk about random things. He could easily imagine Sakura threatening the Inuzuka to not harass him with calls like he usually did. This kind of support from far away eased the blond's mind a little, helping to calm down.

Taking a deep breath, letting a gush of fresh air flow into his lungs, Naruto tried to make himself relax. When he harshly breathed out through his mouth, he finally let his eyes fall onto his destination: Konoha General Hospital. The place he had spent a few weeks of his life in. The place where humans found and lost life. The place where he would have to find life for someone else.

Naruto had to walk only a short distance to get to the side of the hospital that Danzo's room faced and where Sasuke was going to be. At least according to Itachi. Nervously biting at his lower lip, Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets, his head still pounding with a dull ache and his bandaged hand burning in pain. His body felt heavy as lead, but he knew he couldn't stop here when he was so close to reaching his goal. He was somewhat worried about Gaara and how he had disappeared so uncharacteristically, leaving Naruto to his own devices with a pool of blood on the floor, but the blond trusted the redhead that nothing had happened to him.

After slowly coming back to reality, Naruto finally noticed how he had stopped in the middle of an empty area. The asphalt beneath him crunched a little when he nervously shuffled his feet. Hunching his shoulders as though trying to make himself a little smaller, Naruto suddenly focused his attention on the tall greenery a few feet away from him. A few thin trees stood beside the hospital, surrounded by humongous bushes that could easily tower over the blond. They were big enough to be able to easily hide a person.

Suspicious all of a sudden, Naruto stalked over to the tall bushes, heartbeat picking up. He sucked in a sharp breath when he immediately spotted a speck of pale skin between the leaves. It didn't necessarily have to be skin, but Naruto still couldn't stop his heart from thumping painfully hard in his chest.

When he was a little closer, Naruto could feel his throat go dry when he caught a glimpse of what looked to be dark hair. Trying with all his might to silence his movements, Naruto slowly got close enough to see the figure standing in the shadows of the thick bushes and tall trees. Someone around his own height, dark hair, pale skin. There was no doubt in his might about who this was.

The figure's head suddenly snapped around, parting from the sight of the hospital to lock on to Naruto. At least that was what the blond assumed, but somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that the other wasn't directly looking at him. Naruto ceased all movement, even holding his breath as the figure seemed to search around right where he was standing, as though he wasn't even there. As though he wasn't standing only a few feet away from the other.

Gulping again, Naruto tightly clenched the fabric of his shirt, feeling his own rapid heart beating against his fist. He straightened up a little, noticing how the other's gaze seemed to suddenly focus on him before flicking away again. "Sasuke?"

The figure jolted, that frigid gaze now settling on the blond.

With growing unease, Naruto watched as the raven-haired teen slowly straightened up, eyeing him with both suspicion and very evident hostility.

"What are you doing here?" the other hissed venomously.

Naruto jumped a little suddenly hearing the other's words, but regained his bearings again quickly enough. "I…" Clenching his fists, Naruto could feel something like a surge of power flowing through his body, something that blew away any doubt, any fear, any insecurity. "I'm protecting you." A fire suddenly erupted in the blond's chest, spreading throughout his entire body and sending tingling shocks to his nerve ends. His expression twisted into a determined scowl before he could do anything against it, his posture shifting to become more imposing.

This feeling was familiar. Naruto suddenly realized that this fire was something that he had naturally possessed growing up, something that had made him who he was. It had been extinguished by Mizuki over time, but the stupid prick in front of him had incinerated it again and given him back part of his identity. This fire of determination, this need to protect his family and friends. The ones he loved dearly.

Walking out of the greenery, a lop-sided smirk splayed across Sasuke's face as he released a dry snort, the teen staring off to side at the hospital building as he shook his head. He stopped quite a distance away from the blond, the smirk slipping from his face much too fast, as though it hadn't even been there in the first place. His expression turned solemn.

"Sasuke, I know how you feel." Naruto briefly considered closing the distance between them at least a little, but decided against it seeing the way Sasuke seemed ready to attack him if need be. "I know that you feel like there's no other way, like this is something you _have_ to do. But that's not true! Let's just leave and find another way. If we work together, we can find a much better solution than this."

Sasuke didn't grace Naruto with any sign whatsoever that he had even heard what the blond had said. Even when the other patiently waited for some sort of reaction, some response, he didn't budge and remained passive.

"Sasuke!" Nothing Naruto seemed to do was getting through to the other, causing the blond to grit his teeth in frustration. "Don't you see that this is the worst possible way to go! There are other ways! I promise I'll help you, just don't do this!" Again, the words seemed to not even be registered by the Uchiha, falling on deaf ears. Anger pooling in his guts, Naruto clenched his hands into fists, his shoulders beginning to shake slightly. "Are you even listening!" he roared, taking a step closer. "At least look at me, dammit!"

Tilting his head back, Sasuke suddenly focused on a window on the third floor of the hospital. Before Naruto could even continue yelling, Sasuke suddenly turned his head to stare at the blond.

To Naruto it seemed as though Sasuke wasn't quite looking at him directly. The white medical eyepatch covering his left eye reminded Naruto that the Uchiha was slowly going blind. What if Sasuke's sight was already gone? "Are you really going to go on? Like _this_?"

The Uchiha briefly clenched his jaw, fixing the blond with a withering glare, the black iris of his remaining eye murky and faded. "You think I can't do what I want to do when I'm like _this_?"

Naruto usually would have at least hesitated when faced with that kind of intense glare, but now he couldn't care less. "Of course I do! You can barely see me! How you are going get in there and mur–" The blond's words were cut off by a flash of movement flying towards him, then the cold, chilling feeling of metal against his neck.

"You're underestimating me."

With an arm wrapped around the blond's shoulders from the front, Sasuke stood next to Naruto, his other hand holding a knife against the back of the other's neck. Even though Sasuke was standing right next to him, so close he could feel the side of the other's face against his own, so close to him Naruto could hear the other breathing, even though the heat from Sasuke's body seemed to engulf him, Naruto felt cold to the core. "I'm scared."

"You should be."

"No, I…" Feeling the cold blade of Sasuke's knife pushing into his skin, but not enough to cut him, Naruto hesitated for the first time since meeting the other here. He had to say this, even though he dreaded admitting something like this. "I'm scared of losing you."

Sasuke didn't respond to those words. He remained still as a statue, still holding a cold blade against the blond's neck. Wind howled around the two teens, whistling eerily as it whirled through the trees next to them, blowing strong enough to tear off a few leaves and carry them far away.

"I'm _terrified_ of losing you," Naruto continued, trying with all his might to ignore the knife pressing harder against his neck, beginning to slightly cut his skin. "I don't even want to _imagine_ a world where you don't exist anymore. I don't know if I could… If I…" Naruto trailed off, hesitating again. He was exposing himself to Sasuke. He was revealing his innermost feelings and thoughts and he was afraid of this honesty being rejected, of having it shoved back in his face. "Sa–"

"Shut up!" the Uchiha suddenly bellowed, pressing the knife down hard enough to draw blood.

"But–"

"Just shut the fuck up!"

Naruto gulped, feeling a tiny trail of blood run down the back of his neck, again. He could almost feel the tension and anger coming off of Sasuke. The Uchiha's usually closed off emotions were pulsing off of him like a wave of burning heat, scorching Naruto, slowly melting his resolve away.

The coldness of the knife was suddenly gone. Sasuke, with his gaze on the ground, expression hidden by his bangs, stepped away. He created a certain distance between them once again, but the burning heat coming off of him was still making Naruto fell as though he was trying to reach out for someone standing in a monstrous bonfire.

And again, Sasuke's cold silence sent a wave of frustration washing over Naruto. "No, I won't shut up," Naruto eventually barked in a low voice, glaring heatedly at the Uchiha. "You're being stupid. You're not thinking clearly." Naruto closed the distance between them just a little, watching as Sasuke sent him a venomous scowl in return. "Do you think killing Danzo is going to solve anything? Do you think it'll make Itachi happy? Do you think your parents would have wanted you to become a murderer?"

"Don't!" Sasuke suddenly howled, pointing an accusing finger at the other. "Don't bring my family into this."

"_All_ of this is about your family! Of course I'm gonna bring them into this!"

In an instant, a dangerously resentful scowl took over Sasuke's face, a certain mania in his gaze. "You don't know _anything_!" he hollered, nothing but rage oozing off of him.

"I know enough!" Naruto shot back, trying to not be reigned in by the Uchiha's anger, to not become just as enraged. "Itachi entrusted your safety to me! He was the one that told me to come here!"

For a moment, Sasuke breathed heavily through his nose, calming down only little. His gaze flicked away from Naruto to stare off to the side instead. "Something like that doesn't mean anything to me," he forced out quietly, voice shaky with barely suppressed rage. "Itachi killed our parents. Our entire family. I don't care about him."

"We both know that's not true at all."

Still not looking at the blond, Sasuke remained silent once again. He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, before seeming to calm down. But when he looked at Naruto this time, there was still that scorching heat in his remaining eye. "This does not concern you."

The sentence suddenly echoed through Naruto's head, Sasuke's words reminding him of a time when their roles had been reversed. A time when Naruto was the one who's mind was shut off and Sasuke was the one trying to save him.

_"That's none of your business." _

"Of course it's my business," Naruto murmured under his breath, not sure if the other had even heard him. He smirked dryly all of a sudden. "You do realize that you sound exactly like I did when I hit rock bottom, right?"

"I don't care," Sasuke immediately returned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But I do!" Was this how Sasuke must have felt back then? Was this what Sasuke had gone through when Naruto had refused to listen to reason, to believe his friends? Did Sasuke feel this same stabbing pain? "And Itachi does! And Sakura does, Shikamaru does, Neji does, Kakashi-sensei does, heck, even _Kiba_ does! We all care about you, so don't you dare belittle that!"

"This is still my decision to make! It's my life and only I have the right to decide over it."

Naruto could feel tears welling up, had to bite his lip to stop it from trembling. His earlier determination was slowly dwindling, leaving him feeling painfully empty. But then he clenched his right hand into a fist, feeling his nails digging into his skin. The stinging pain cleared his mind, helping him will away this helpless feeling. "Nope," he smirked. "Not gonna let you."

That blind rage returned to Sasuke's gaze instantly. His entire body seemed charged with tension, like a cat arching its back with its fur standing on end. "You–"

"Forget it! I'm not gonna let you." The smirk on Naruto's face broadened, becoming firmer and more confident.

"What right do you–"

"You're important to me," Naruto cut the other off, knowing where Sasuke was going to go with that already. "Really important," he then mumbled quietly, gaze dropping. "So important that I'd rather die than let you throw your life away for something stupid like this."

"Stupid?" Sasuke echoed incredulously. "_Stupid_? You have no clue what you're talking about! You weren't–"

"I _do_ know what I'm talking about," Naruto protested immediately, suddenly feeling as though he had the upper hand in this.

Sasuke too seemed to notice the shift and went silent, lips pressed together tightly as he sent the blond an expectant glare.

"Danzo ruined my life too! Just like he ruined yours." Frowning angrily at the thought of the perverted old man, Naruto scowled down at the ground. "He used his political power to make it possible for Mizuki to adopt me and basically handed me over to a pedophiliac maniac with anger management issues as a _gift_. As a fucking token of his gratitude for his _right-hand man_."

Instead of shooting another snarky comeback at the blond, Sasuke seemed to honestly believe Naruto's words and ponder them. He even relaxed a little, eyeing the other teen with a different look now.

"Just… Just stop and think a little," Naruto continued after a while of silence. "Think about what you're trying to leave behind. _Who_ you're trying to leave behind." Carefully, Naruto stepped closer to the Uchiha, desperately wanting to make this distance between them vanish. "You were the one that pulled me out of the darkness I was drowning myself in. I wouldn't have been able to do that without you. I probably would be _dead_ without you. And I don't know if I _want_ to live in a world without you."

Releasing a flat chuckle, Sasuke gave the blond a cold smirk. "Do you honestly think that is going to change my mind?"

"I…" Did he really believe that? What right did he have anyway to lecture Sasuke like this? Just yesterday, he had been considering the possibility of throwing his life away to prevent anything from happening to the people precious to him. Sasuke's motives were different, but in the end, what they were trying to do was the same thing. And looking at Sasuke, the way the other was watching him now, patiently waiting for an answer, as though curious wether or not Naruto could change his mind, seeing this gave Naruto the courage he needed. Now was his chance to get through to Sasuke. Pure determination shone in the glare he directed at Sasuke. "I know you can't kill yourself," he uttered firmly, watching closely to see how Sasuke would react. "You just won't."

"Why wouldn't I?" Sasuke questioned suspiciously, a bit of anger returning to his presence.

Naruto himself hadn't known the answer to that question. During this entire time chasing down Sasuke, he had never believed in the possibility of Sasuke ever throwing away his life, of Sasuke disappearing from his life. But now, faced with the truth in front of his eyes, the answer came to him easily. "Cause I will die with you if you do that."

Genuine surprise wiped out any other emotion on Sasuke's face for a second. But then something flashed in his remaining eye, enraged madness taking over the taller teen's entire being and seeming to consume him completely. He was in front of Naruto in an instant, grabbed the front of the blond's shirt and threw him to the ground. "Quit spouting shit like that!" he roared as he slammed his knee down onto the blond's chest to keep him down and knocking the breath out of Naruto. Eyes mad, he raised a fist to hit the other with as he held Naruto up by his shirt. "I don't give a fuck about you, so don't act like you know me or have any right to tell me what to–"

Naruto gasped in shock when Sasuke suddenly released him to clutch at his right eye. "Sasu–" His eyes widened in shock when he heard the blood-curdling scream and saw the blood pouring from in between the Uchiha's fingers, dripping down the other's pale check. "No," Naruto gasped under his breath, desperation claiming his heart and clenching it painfully. "No, no, no, no," he repeated over and over, as though chanting. "This can't be happening." Sitting up, Sasuke's knee slipping off of his chest and in between his legs without the other noticing, Naruto grabbed the other's shoulders to keep him steady, wincing when he heard Sasuke moaning and groaning in agony. "Sasuke!" Naruto could feel the pained tremors wrecking through the other's body, could almost feel the pain torturing Sasuke. _What should I do?_, he asked himself desperately, the question echoing painfully in his mind. _What _can_ I do?_

The sound of heavy and purposeful steps snapped Naruto back to reality, making him jump in surprise. They were approaching quickly, forcing Naruto to consider running away. He couldn't just leave Sasuke here though. He wouldn't be able to carry him to safety quickly enough either and with the way Sasuke was making pained noises, hiding in the bushes wouldn't save them either. Naruto had to think fast to save them both.

Pushing Sasuke away a little, he got to his feet and pulled the other up with him. Taking one of Sasuke's bloody hands away from his eye, he wrapped one of the Uchiha's arms around his shoulders and, keeping a hand on the other's waist, Naruto half carried him to the wall next to them. He carefully dropped Sasuke there, letting him sit and lean against the wall, Sasuke still clutching his bleeding eye and groaning in pain.

Someone suddenly rounded the corner Naruto had come from as well, approaching the two in a fast pace. From the looks of it, he was a guard. His chin-length auburn hair flew around his face as he rushed towards the two teens, amber eyes set in a glare. "What are you two doing here?" he barked.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Naruto slowly turned towards the man that stopped a few feet away from. He gulped, casting a quick glance at Sasuke. "M-My friend needs to see… No, wait um… He has to be examined by a doctor. Something's wrong with his eyes."

The guard eyed the teen with very obvious suspicion, his gaze flickering back and forth between the nervous blond and the groaning brunet. His hand inching towards the back of his belt – towards either his gun or some sort of handheld radio, no less –, he dropped his head back to look up at the hospital, his gaze hardening as he found that the two were right below Danzo's room. "Why are you here and not _inside_ the hospital?" he questioned with a threatening undertone, as though giving a wrong answer would be severely punished.

Naruto gulped again, fear beginning to make his fingers tremble. "Um… well… you see, my friend can't see very well right now," he quickly replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "Something's wrong with his eyes after all. I didn't pay attention for a while because I was talking to a friend who brought us here and he tried to find the way himself. He ended up here and this is where I found him. I'm trying to get him inside so someone can look at his eyes." This guy was definitely one of Danzo's personal guards. No common hospital security guard would carry a gun or be this hostile. He must have come out after hearing Sasuke and Naruto argue so loudly. "Could you help me?" the blond inquired innocently. "I don't know if I can do it myself."

The guard's eyes narrowed in a skeptical fashion, a dangerous glint to his gaze. "Sure." He slowly approached the two, still seeming to expect them to attack him. When neither of them made a move to do so, he helped the blond get the groaning teen to his feet and carefully drag him towards the front entrance of the hospital.

Naruto remained silent, not wanting to agitate the man in any way. Even Sasuke quieted down a little, seeming to realize how precarious their current situation was. He merely struggled along, releasing the occasional painful moan or hiss.

Once they were close to the front entrance, warm light streaming out and muffled voices coming from inside, the security guard suddenly stopped walking, forcing the teens to halt as well.

Naruto shot the man a quizzical look, suddenly wary. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip around Sasuke's waist and the arm thrown around his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

The guard straightened up a little from his hunched down posture, seeming to contemplate something. Suddenly, his gaze shot towards the unnerved blond. "Keep walking and don't dare to say anything. Else I'll be a lot less nice."

Gulping, Naruto nodded slowly, eyes widening slightly when they continued walking. A nervous tremor running through his entire body, he stepped through the automatic doors of the hospital. He could feel his legs begin to shake and Sasuke suddenly grip his shirt tightly. Naruto supposed it was due to the sheer unbearable pain the other was going through. He wanted to nothing more than simply take away Sasuke's pain somehow, to make him feel better, to dispel anything that was weighing him down.

Of course, nothing was ever that simple.

Silently, they passed the reception, ignoring the shocked and concerned looks of the nurses. Seeing how it was a security guard escorting the two teens, they assumed it was okay to just let them carry on. Especially since this wasn't just anybody's guard.

Naruto couldn't stop nervously gnawing at his lower lip, abusing the tender flesh with sharp bites, paying no mind to the pain. All he could think about was to steadily place one foot before the other, moving on without easing his hold on Sasuke and keeping an eye on the intimidating guard. His step faltered slightly whenever those sharp amber eyes would focus on him, only to flick away again. The fierceness of that aloof gaze made Naruto's heart race, made him nauseous even. Or perhaps he was feeling the effects of all the injuries he had sustained throughout the past few hours.

"We're there," the guard suddenly barked, releasing his hold on Sasuke all of a sudden and letting the teen's entire weight drop on Naruto.

The blond barely caught Sasuke, not having expected having to carry the other by himself all of a sudden. His hands were swatted away by the Uchiha though, the brunet slowly straightening up. Although he wavered slightly, he was standing on his own two feet again.

Looking at the door they had stopped in front of, Naruto frowned in confusion. "This is a patient's room," he concluded, seeing the room number and the hallway lined with other numbered rooms. Before he could read whatever was written on the small board next to the room, the guard opened the door and stepped in front of him, blocking the view. Still puzzled, Naruto could do nothing but stare at the man's lean back. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Sasuke trying to make out the person in the room, but seeming to fail. When the blond dared to glance inside, his sight was first blocked by the guard, but upon looking closer, he found another guard standing in the corner of the room. He was lean and fair-skinned, with short black dull hair. A mask covered nearly his entire face, only revealing his thin mouth and straight nose. He gave off a calm, level-headed air, very unlike the fierce atmosphere coming off of the auburn-haired guard. Naruto would have eyed the man further, but then a weathered and aloof voice spoke to the guard standing in front him.

"Why have you brought these little punks here?"

The amber-eyed guard briefly turned around to send another scrutinizing glare at Naruto, before returning his attention to the man propped up in his hospital bed. "I thought you may want to see them. Particularly the dark-haired one. He matches the description you gave about the perpetrator."

_Perpetrator?_ Naruto wondered, a thought suddenly making him halt. Then he felt the air being knocked out of his lungs by the realization hitting him. This was the person Sasuke had attacked, the one he was planning to kill: Shimura Danzo, former leader of a major political party in Konoha and once owner of a hellish children's home. The children's home from which both Naruto and Sai had escaped with the remainder of their childhood thoroughly ruined, even after leaving.

Naruto could feel his blood suddenly begin to boil hotter than lava in his body. It seemed to scorch him from the inside out, a burning rage suddenly exploding in his guts. It seemed to only grow more and more, feasting on his boiling blood like a blood-thirsty little demon and spreading throughout his entire body, making him feel a little light-headed, although still alert. He couldn't help but grit his teeth in agitation, suppressing a sneer, hands clenching into fists at his sides, shaking with the effort of not attacking the man not the spot.

This was the man that had ruined his life. This was the man that had handed him over to Mizuki like some article. This was the man that had taken his childhood. His innocence.

Naruto was snapped out of his sudden fit of wrath by the imploring glare suddenly focusing on him. Although half of Danzo's face was covered by bandages, even with only one eye he could still instill a severe uneasiness in the blond. His gaze quickly darted to Sasuke though, focusing on the teen's pale and sickly face. His visible eye narrowed into a penetrative glare, his gaze remaining on the Uchiha for a long time.

"Fu," he suddenly addressed the guard.

"Yes, Sir?" the auburn-haired guard immediately replied.

"Take them away," the man ordered, unfazed by the utter hate oozing from both teens, the amount of which was clearly palpable in the room's atmosphere. So much that even the aloof man couldn't help but stare back at them with clear distaste. "They are nothing but immature little brats. They do no yet understand how this cruel world works."

Although Sasuke was nearly blind, those words visibly affected him more than anything he could have ever perceived with his eyes. His dull eye widened as a wave of fury washed over him, his body tensing, every fiber of his body seeming to be charged with energy, the teen looking ready to charge. Danzo obviously recognized him as the one that had attacked him in the darkness of the night, but he was clearly not taking Sasuke seriously. All he saw in the Uchiha was an infantile little teen he did not need to worry about. Only a child.

"Don't you dare belittle me," Sasuke hissed lowly, barely suppressed rage lacing his tone.

"Fu!" Danzo called impatiently, as though ordering his guard to finally swat away an annoying insect. Instead of gracing the two teens with even another measly look, he picked up a newspaper from his nightstand and began to casually leaf through it.

This display of utter disregard of his presence and capability caused something in Sasuke to snap. The last string of his patience and control snapped, leaving him to succumb to his intense hatred and anger. All he could see now was the man sitting on that pristine white bed.

_Kill…_

Nothing else existed.

_Kill…_

Nothing else mattered.

_I'll kill him!_

A hand wrapping painfully tight around his wrist stopped Sasuke long enough to briefly forget his hate-blinded vision. His murky gaze travelled down his arm, only to find Naruto's hand gripping him. "Let go," he forced out quietly, an under-lying threat in his words.

"No," the blond simply shot back, pulling the other closer to him. "We're leaving," Naruto announced loudly, suddenly turning around and dragging a still weakened Sasuke away with him. He could hear the door slam shut behind him, could hear another page of the man's newspaper being turned, could clearly picture the despicable glint in Danzo's eyes.

"Let me go right now!" Although he tried to wrench his arm out of the other's hold, Sasuke couldn't muster up the strength needed to do so. "I swear I'll gut you and feed your innards to the Inuzuka's mutt if you don't let go right _now_! What you think you're even doing, you dumb fuck! You have no right to–"

"Shut up for a second!" Naruto suddenly roared, turning around to stare the other straight in the face. "Do you think you're the only one that wants to punch that guy's fucking lights out right now!" His face reddening rapidly, Naruto could almost feel a vein pop on his forehead with all the blood rushing to his head in anger. "You're not the only one that wants him to die a painful and horrifying death! Get back in line, bitch!"

"Did you just call me a _bitch_?" Sasuke questioned incredulously, a bit of surprise mixing into his furious expression.

"Yeah, cause you're acting like one!" Naruto didn't even take note of the other's slightly shocked state and merely continued loudly voicing all his frustration. "What happened to the level-headed, _too-cool-for-you_ Sasuke I know, huh?"

A sneer dispelled any surprise showing on Sasuke's face, malice and anger shining even in his dull eye and seeming to burn even from within his white eyepatch. "Shut the fuck up!"

"And you calm the fuck down!" Naruto immediately shot back, not backing down when the other sent a venomous scowl at him.

They both stood like that for a moment, staring each other down, both their chests heaving with deep, ragged breaths, their equal hatred and rage seeming to severely wear them out. They were both exhausted and tired, yet they couldn't stop directing their anger at each other.

Naruto realized that they were both directing their anger at the wrong person. That Sasuke wasn't realizing this was testament of how worn out the Uchiha was mentally. "Sasuke…" the blond murmured, expression softening, regret shining in his cobalt blue eyes. Naruto watched as the other's anger eased only a little, Sasuke now eyeing him with a narrowed gaze. "You need to get your eyes check out." Instead of letting Sasuke argue, Naruto grabbed the brunet's wrist a bit tighter and dragged him down the hallway. He had spent weeks in this hospital and knew where he could find the right doctor to help them. On the way to Danzo's room, his attention had been so focused on both the guard and Sasuke that he hadn't noticed where they were going. Now, finding his way around the winding hallways and many staircases was like a piece of cake.

Relief washed over the blond when Sasuke made no move to resist and simply allowed Naruto to drag him away. It gave Naruto a bit of hope, a little spark of warmth settling in his chest. He smiled to himself, careful not to let Sasuke see.

Stopping in front of a white door with a small, milky glass window, Naruto briefly tightened his grip around Sasuke's wrist, before letting it go. He gingerly knocked on the door, hoping someone was inside. Hoping the person he was searching for was inside. "She'll help you," Naruto tried to reassure the other, turning around a little to send the other a strained smile.

Somewhere in his mind though, he already suspected that nothing could be done.

The door swung open to reveal a glaring woman, the blonde towering over the two, exuding nothing but annoyance. "What do you want?" she bellowed with her hands on her hips. Seeing the state Naruto was in, she suddenly seemed to forget her annoyance for a moment. Clicking her tongue, she stepped back to let the teens in. "Get in," she ordered firmly yet softly, slamming the door shut once both were standing in the middle of her office.

Naruto now stood in front of the woman, wary and nervous. In his anxiety he was fumbling with his fingers restlessly. "Granny… I…"

Sighing, Tsunade leaned against her desk that was littered with piles of documents and files. Even the monitor of her computer disappeared between the sheer masses of paper. Some stacks didn't even fit on the table and were strewn around on the floor surrounding the desk. The rest of her office looked like a typical doctor's office, with a simple examination table on the right side and her equipment on the other.

The blonde picked up a steaming cup of coffee from her desk and took a sip, before calming down and looking at the teens with calm features. She seemed to finally take note of the state Sasuke was in, the teen having stood hidden from view behind Naruto. She immediately dropped her cup back on her desk, approaching the brunet and ushering him onto her examination table. "Sit down," she ordered hastily. Once the teen was seated, she cupped his face, turning it and looking at Sasuke's visible eye from different angles. "I'm going to look at your other eye as well." Not even waiting for an affirmative response, she slid off the medical eyepatch to reveal an eye even duller than the other. Tsunade sucked in a breath in shock, brushing her thumb over the brunet's bloody cheek. She pulled her hand back to rub her thumb against her pointer finger, her eyes widening when she came to a conclusion. "You're actually bleeding from your eyes?" Suddenly extremely focused, Tsunade pulled down Sasuke's lower eyelid, watching in utter shock as more blood dribbled out from inside the brunet's lower eyelid. "It's coming from your tear ducts," she mumbled distractedly. "And these cataracts look severe." A scowl suddenly appeared on the woman's features. "Just for how long have you not seen a doctor about these? For cataracts as severe as these to develop you must have let them develop for _months_!"

"They started developing last week," Sasuke replied flatly, regarding the woman with an unchanging expression of passiveness.

"WHAT?" Tsunade shot up from her chair, making it noisily clatter to the floor. "These developed over the course of not even two weeks?" She received a small nod in return, causing her face to steadily lose color. "And the haemolacria? The bloody tears?"

"They started at the same time."

Tsunade looked pale as a sheet now, slowly picking her chair back up and letting herself heavily drop onto it. She gulped, pulling a small flashlight from her coat pocket. She used it to examine Sasuke's eyes, seeming to look for any abnormalities. Afterwards, she shone the white light directly into both of the teen's eyes. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she alternated between shining the bright light into the brunet's left and right eye, her expression hardening with each passing second. "You may suffer from retinal or optical nerve disease. I can't tell for sure though, since your cataracts are very dense and this light isn't bright enough. I'll have to check again later with a brighter one."

"I already know that there's no known way to treat it," Sasuke suddenly cut in, face still passive and uncaring. "This is a common disease in the Uchiha family. Males of my family have been suffering from it for centuries, perhaps ever since this family was founded. It's been called a lot of things, but I mostly know it as _Heaven's Eyes._ My father suffered from it as well, but he died before he could go completely blind. My brother's best friend suffered from it, as well as many of my father's colleagues, who were also Uchiha. None of their cases were as severe as mine though. None of them bled from their eyes like me, expect for my brother's friend. He died a few years ago, soon after the symptoms started showing. The cause of death was determined to be suicide, but that's questionable." Sasuke's gaze grew distant for a second, the brunet apparently recalling memories from the past. Wether painful or pleasant didn't show on his face. "And I've never seen first hand, but I think my brother suffers from it too," he continued, voice lightly lower than before. "Only a doctor from the Uchiha family could have the slimmest chance of treating this specific disease, but since the Uchiha have been wiped out, that is now impossible."

Storing her flashlight away again, Tsunade huffed to herself and lightly shook her head. "I'll definitely have to run a lot of tests on you," she continued, completely disregarding the teen's discouraging statement. "I honestly have no idea what could cause these kinds of symptoms together. Cataracts themselves aren't uncommon and can be treated with surgeries, but the bloody tears coming from your eyes are throwing me for a loop right now. Haemolacria can be caused by so many different things, yet no one really knows any certain cause or effective treatment. There are only three documented cases, none of which have been explained properly. For all I know, they could all be just media hoaxes or fabrications by the people supposedly suffering from it. But now that I'm seeing it for myself, I guess haemolacria is real after all."

The air suddenly felt tense, Tsunade eyeing Sasuke like he was an intriguing and agonizing mystery to be solved, while the brunet stared back at her with a certain defiance in his dull and passive eyes.

After a little stare down with neither backing down, Tsunade eventually sighed and backed away from Sasuke, a deep frown furrowing her brows. "I can't do anything unless I perform those tests on you. I honestly cannot diagnose any specific cause right now."

"Are you sure you can't do anything?" Naruto immediately wanted to know, horror and fear swimming in his exhausted gaze.

Releasing another loud and drawn out sigh, Tsunade eyed Sasuke another time, a hand against her chin, before shaking her head. "I don't know," she admitted, her calm expression falling. "First, I'll have to determine how much of his vision is still intact. If it can be saved at all. I'll have to check his visual acuity, examine his extra-ocular muscles, test his depth perception as well as his confrontational visual field and color vision."

Naruto quietly groaned to himself. "Granny, you _do_ realize that I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"

"I definitely need to monitor his central visual field," the doctor continued mumbling to herself, paying no mind to Naruto's complaints. "Maybe that would explain some things. Can't get around a biomicroscopy either. That should give me some hints. What about a fundus exam? Or maybe something's wrong with his IOP?

"Granny," Naruto moaned again, shooting a worried glance towards Sasuke, who was still patiently sitting on the examination table, staring at the ceiling as though all the secrets of the world were laid out on it.

Snapping out of her musings, Tsunade gave Naruto a once over as well. "You don't look any better," she scoffed, motioning for Naruto to sit on a stool. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor as she briefly rushed away to take out several tools and supplies. "What happened?" she questioned in a hard voice, gaze stern as she stared at the blond.

Naruto gulped, considering keeping his mouth shut, but feeling the need to tell Tsunade about everything that had happened. With Gaara, then with Kyuubi and with Sasuke as well. How Gaara had knocked him out and given him a mean headache, then Kyuubi cutting him and choking him and banging his head against his car. He _wanted_ to tell her, but he couldn't get his mouth to open up even an inch. He merely shook his head, earning a look of disapproval from the blond woman.

"Well, fine," Tsunade grumbled to herself, grabbing Naruto's chin a bit too harshly and making him hiss as she eyed him. "Oh, don't be such a baby."

"My head's pounding, Granny!" Naruto complained, having every intention to swat the woman's annoying hand away. "And my neck hurts and my hand hurts and I feel like I'm still bleeding and–"

"Shut up for a second, you brat!" Tsunade not too carefully ran her fingers over the angry red bruises around the blond's neck, her mood visibly plummeting when she noticed their specific shape. "Someone choked you?"

Clenching his jaw, Naruto gulped and remained silent, opting to stare at one of the piles of paper next to Tsunade's desk.

Tsunade released an agitated sigh in return, poking one especially large bruise. Naturally, Naruto flinched in pain. "Who did it?"

Naruto could hear the threat in the doctor's voice, knew that not answering would only exasperate the woman further. Still, he remained silent. There was no way he would sell out Kyuubi like that. People already didn't trust him as it was, especially Tsunade.

Shaking her head at the teen's silence, Tsunade picked up a fresh pack of bandages and began dressing the nasty looking bruises on Naruto's neck. "What else do I have to take care of?" she inquired monotonously.

"The injury on my hand is already bandaged," Naruto mumbled exhaustedly, quickly glancing at said hand. "The back of my head was bleeding earlier. Not sure, but I feel like have a concussion. Not a bad one though."

Nodding, Tsunade wordlessly cleaned the wound on Naruto's head and dressed it with swift hands. She quickly shone a light into his eyes and asked if he was feeling dizzy. When she received an affirmative response, she released yet another sigh, feeling as though all she was doing was sighing ever since the two teens had come into her office. "You may have a light concussion, so take it easy for a while. You should know the deal."

"I do," Naruto nodded, remembering how often he had come to Tsunade to have his injuries patched up. That had been at a time when he hadn't completely denied human contact and relations.

Although she wanted to do nothing but pound some sense into the silent blond and the passive brunet, Tsunade kept her mouth shut. She had a feeling that no matter what she did, both would go through with whatever they were planning to do. All she could do was hope to notice in case things would go downhill.

* * *

><p>Sasuke's hospital room was so agonizingly quiet, the sound of the rain falling outside alone seemed to dominate the world. Heavy droplets splashed against the window, the pitter-patter of the water hitting the glass barely disturbing the utter silence.<p>

Thick bandages had been wrapped around Sasuke's head to cover up his eyes. Wether or not it would help him regain at least some of his sight, Tsunade didn't know. While the brunet idly sat on his hospital bed, Naruto rigidly remained on his chair next to him, staring out of the window at the cloudy and gloomy sky. Occasionally, he would glance at the Uchiha, the snow white bandages wrapped around his head, the way they seemed to merge with his deadly pale skin.

"Why did you never go to a doctor when you always knew you were going to get this disease?" Naruto suddenly inquired, his voice shattering the silence. "Maybe someone could have found a way to prevent this." Naruto could not understand how someone, especially someone like _Sasuke_, could just roll over and succumb to fate like that. To not even try and just accept something like this.

"Don't talk to me," the brunet replied coldly, showing no sign of even acknowledging the blond's question.

Anger immediately flared up in Naruto's guts, spreading like wildfire throughout his entire system. "Fuck you!" he roared, jumping out of his chair to shout down at the other. "You can't stop me from talking, so I'll keep talking however much I fucking want!" Huffing, he dropped back into his seat and crossed his arms, glaring out of the window in front of him now. "I wonder what we're gonna do about our school play," he uttered all of a sudden, ignoring the way Sasuke's features tensed in annoyance. "You're obviously out, so now we have to find a replacement for that douchebag cousin. You were perfect for the role, by the way. Especially since he gets slain by me."

"Only after I kill your best friend."

The outlines of a cold anxiety immediately settled in Naruto's chest, slowly wrapping around his thumping heart, engulfing his mind with grueling thoughts. The words sent an uncomfortable shiver down Naruto's spine. With disturbed eyes he nervously eyed Sasuke, hoping to find something that would dispel this uneasy feeling. Something that would ease his restless mind. Once again, his nightmare came back to him, the sight of a blood-soaked Sasuke among corpses, slowly being devoured by his own darkness.

At this point in time, with things this far gone, what could he do? _Was_ there anything he could do?

A soft knock at the door woke Naruto out of musings, forcing him to take his eyes off of Sasuke and turn around in his chair to look at whoever was coming in. His breath caught in his dry throat when he saw Tsunade step into the room, a solemn and strained expression on her face.

"Granny?" a heavy uneasiness settled in Naruto's guts seeing the foreboding expression on the blonde's face. Something had happened. He could see it in her eyes, the way she didn't meet his or Sasuke's eyes. The way her face was unusually pale. The way her thumbnail looked to be broken, the broken nail testament of her habit to bite her thumbnail in tricky situations. What had her worried enough to cause her to go as far as biting hard enough to break her nail? "What happened?"

The doctor met the teen's eyes, nothing but sorrow shining in her honey-brown eyes. "Sasuke…" Her eyes trailed over to the silent brunet on the bed. She looked to be clenching her jaw, before stalking towards the free side of the Uchiha's bed. Even though the other couldn't see, she waited until the teen turned his head into her direction. "Your brother has passed away."

The bluntness of the statement shocked Naruto, making him suck in a sharp breath. He immediately checked how Sasuke was reacting, trying to see the other's emotions through his bandages, trying to see his covered eyes, trying to see the only thing that ever indicated any certain emotion.

"Uchiha Itachi called the hospital an hour ago," Tsunade continued after a short moment of silence, "but he didn't ask for an ambulance. He told the operator that he was about to die and to send someone to pick his body up. When the paramedics arrived at his apartment, he was already dead."

Naruto couldn't decide wether he should look at Tsunade, who was struggling to maintain her composure, or if he should look at Sasuke, who had lowered his head a tiny bit, shoulders hunching slightly and his face looking tense. "Sasuke?" His careful whisper was met with silence, his nervous eyes trailing up to Tsunade, seeking some sort of help. Something.

"I'll… leave you alone," Tsunade murmured, the clicking of her heels as she left echoing much too loudly in the deafening silence.

Once the door fell shut behind her, the silence was almost choking Naruto, making it hard to breathe, squeezing his lungs, breaking his ribs. He suddenly flinched, a cold shiver running all the way from his shoulders to his lower back, like icy fingers running down his back. Sasuke's expression hadn't visibly changed, but all of a sudden, it was as though Naruto could see through those bandages. What he saw was pure, undiluted hatred pouring from those black eyes. A hatred so intense and dark, Naruto couldn't believe those thin bandages were withstanding the pressure. He wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if Sasuke's glare suddenly dyed those pearly white bandages an inky black color. "Sa–"

The Uchiha suddenly jerked forward, clutching the white sheets of his bed hard enough his knuckles turned white. "That bastard," he snarled, voice dripping with poisonous hatred, "I'll kill him. He doesn't deserve to live in this world. That piece of trash needs to die a slow and painful death. I'll show him what it means to mess with the Uchiha family."

"Sasuke!" Naruto barked, getting up from his chair to try and snap the other out of it. He didn't dare grab the brunet though, for fear of burning himself with the searing hatred coming off of the other in waves. Slowly, he was understanding what exactly Sasuke's thought process was at this point. While Sasuke continued mumbling to himself, Naruto remembered how they had been dragged to Danzo room more than an hour and a half ago. In the time it had taken for both teens to be examined and patched up and for Sasuke to be put into a private room, Danzo could have easily ordered Itachi to be killed. That guard of his hadn't seemed like the type to shy away from murder. Was there any way to argue against that logic? Could it be just a coincidence? Going as far as killing Itachi seemed extreme, even to Naruto who knew of Danzo's ruthlessness. "Sasuke, I know what you're thinking." Finally daring to touch Sasuke, Naruto grabbed the brunet's shoulder to slightly shake the other, almost flinching away again when Sasuke's head snapped around into his direction, his hatred seeming to pierce through the bandages covering his eyes. "I know what you're thinking right now," the blond repeated, careful not to let his voice waver. "And I know that this seems too obvious to be a coincidence. I can't believe it's a coincidence either. But before you do anything rash, please just calm down for a second and think. I won't let you sink any deeper than this."

Sasuke tensed like an agitated cat arching its back, lips shifting into a sneer. "You–"

"Shut up! The way you are now, I could easily overpower you! I don't care how scary you look right or now or how much you're gonna hate me for this, but I'm not letting you out of this room until you feel better and things are really cleared up!" Naruto could easily imagine the look of disapproval on Sasuke's face, that look that promised torment should he get in the other's way. He didn't care though. He would rather fight Sasuke than let him get out of this room to hunt down a man that had two very capable men as his guards. Two men that wouldn't hesitate to injure Sasuke or worse. "I met Itachi," Naruto continued in a much softer voice, letting his hand trail from Sasuke's shoulder down his arm and to his hand. He hesitated, but eventually, he took the brunet's hand into his. "He looked kinda sick, now that I think about it." With a little bit of satisfaction, Naruto observed how Sasuke lowered his head, his tense features relaxing a little bit, the Uchiha gripping the blond's hand a little tighter. Unconsciously or not, the small gesture sent a little smile to Naruto's face. "He gave me a letter and told me to pass on a message."

Sasuke's lowered head snapped up suddenly to face the other, lips parting in what had to be astonishment.

Naruto remembered the warmth he had felt in Itachi's presence, that comforting warmth of someone that loved his family dearly. Raising his free hand, with a broadening smile, he poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers. "Forgive me, Sasuke."

* * *

><p>In case any of you are going to the gamescom in Köln, definitely PM me so we can arrange to meet. I'll probably die of embarrassment, but meeting some of my readers is like a little dream of mine. Even if it's just for a minute or something, I wanna meet at least some of you in person and shower you in lurv and appreciation and everything that is nice and fluffy. I'll probably end up having a meltdown or something, but meh…<p>

And holy shit, this chapter turned out really long. I wasn't planning to make it this long. The scenes with Kyuubi and Tsunade were improvised ones that I wasn't planning to write in the beginning. I was even thinking about splitting this chapter into two parts, but I thought I should give you a really long chapter for once after always making you wait for so long. Thanks for your patience.

Edit: So apparently, my eight-year-old dog has cancer. I had my ten minute break down, wailing and all that shit, but I'm sorta composed now. Not sure what kind of state I'll be in later on, so I really can't say for sure when I'll update again. I'm not putting this story on hiatus yet, but if I really can't handle this, I'll let you know. I feel like I've already come to terms with it cause my Dad died of cancer too and that just made me constantly aware that my dog could die any time. I just didn't think it would be this soon. And fuck, I'm starting to shake again so I'll stop here before I start wailing again and annoy my neighbors. And I think I'm about to throw up.

Next chapter: Day Three

– Murasaki B


	37. Day 3

Hey…

So I had something really emotional and heart wrenching about my dog written here that I wrote the day after I knew for sure that my dog has incurable cancer but I figured no one wants to read that shit, so here I am, pretty much okay with it. The chemo is going well aside from some side effects and the cancer isn't noticeable at all, so it's fine.

Moreover… JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THESE PAST AND FUTURE WEEKS?! So much stuff… You'll understand if you decide to read the author's note at the end.

Warning: Some major angst. Be prepared. I'm serious. I had to take breaks from writing the end. It was intense.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXVII<span>  
><span>– Day 3 –<span>

Naruto was rudely awoken by countless birds loudly chirping outside. Groggily, eyes barely open, he sat up from where he was half-lying on Sasuke's bed, straightening up in his chair. He glared out of the window, as though trying to incinerate those annoying birds. "Rude," he mumbled heatedly under his breath.

For a while, Naruto merely sat staring at Sasuke. He still couldn't believe that Sasuke was actually there. It almost felt as though he would disappear the second Naruto looked elsewhere. As though the fragile form before him was only held together by his attentive gaze and would evaporate the second he averted his eyes. Sighing to himself, Naruto laid his head down on his crossed arms resting on the bed, staring at Sasuke's pale features. His silky black hair splayed out across the white pillow, his chest rising and falling steadily and in a reassuring way. The bandages covering his eyes seemed untouched, even though Sasuke had clawed at them so violently the day before. Just thinking back to that moment sent an uncomfortable shiver down the blond's spine. For a second he had thought that he was losing Sasuke yet again.

Trying to distract himself from the memories and nightmares taunting him, Naruto raised his head to examine the Uchiha's face. The small scratch marks on his cheeks, that thin, almost invisible scar on his upper lip that Naruto had noticed when they had kissed in the theater. The memory of that event caused a sudden fuzziness in Naruto's stomach, like little fluff balls rolling around in his guts and tickling him from inside. Resting his chin on the back of his hand, Naruto reached out with his other hand to gently poke Sasuke's pale cheek.

No reaction.

Honestly, Naruto couldn't believe that he was thinking this, but he was bored out of his mind. He had never thought that the would _ever_ be bored with how much drama had been ensuing recently whenever Sasuke was around. But he was really, genuinely, sincerely _bored._ So bored apparently that he even spoke to birds that couldn't even hear, no less _understand_, him in the first place.

"You rude little bastards," he murmured towards the open window. Outside, on a tree branch in front of the window, sat three or four little birds loudly chirping away as though they were trying to wake the dead. "Shut up for a second. This is a hospital. People are trying to sleep." Turning his attention to Sasuke again, Naruto once again poked the brunet's cheek. He poked and poked, but the other didn't stir. The fact that Sasuke didn't shift while sleeping_ at all_ was simply disturbing in and of itself. Upon waking up, Naruto had found the other in exactly the same position he had last seen him before going to sleep. He was sure Sasuke hadn't moved since the folds in the sheets were exactly the same as before and it was impossible to reconstruct folds _this_ perfectly.

Naruto made to poke Sasuke's cheek again, but ended up gently stroking it instead with his pointer. Seeing the Uchiha like this, features void of all the things troubling him, Naruto couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sasuke had to go through so much and now Itachi's death had been added to the list of the many things that were bringing him down. And now that he understood Sasuke's actions, Naruto didn't know how to deal with the Uchiha anymore.

Especially after what had happened yesterday when he had told Sasuke about that letter. Just like before, the memory sent a small jolt through Naruto's body, like a weak current of electricity shooting through his veins. After all, he had been close to losing his weak grasp on the Uchiha's emotions.

* * *

><p>Naruto had passed on Itachi's message asking Sasuke to forgive him and had been watching for the brunet's reaction. Would he cry? Would he be angered? Would he run away? What would he do? Those thoughts had been running through Naruto's aching head as he silently watched the motionless brunet in front of him. What he hadn't been expected was what happened next.<p>

"What about the letter?"

The quietly uttered question shocked Naruto out of his wits. He had been expecting some sort of outburst. Sorrow at realizing what those words meant, anger when Sasuke blamed Danzo once again, desperation when he had to admit that he had been powerless in all this. But no such thing. Almost as if Naruto hadn't even passed on the message. But this was Sasuke. Of course he wouldn't openly show how he felt. Especially not to Naruto. Still, was this how things were supposed to be?

"Hey, moron," Sasuke growled lowly, "are you deaf?"

"Uh… the letter! Yeah, sure." Naruto almost handed the Uchiha the letter but quickly realized the issue with that. "But you…" The blond trailed off, letting his unfinished sentence hang in the tense air.

Sasuke suddenly tensed. Had he forgotten as well?

That he was blind.

"I could just…" Naruto pulled his hand back and turned the slightly creased letter over in his hand a few times, eyeing its blank surface. He almost dropped the letter when, after sitting there not moving, Sasuke's hands suddenly shot up to his face and the raven began tearing at the bandages around his eyes. "Sasuke!"

But the Uchiha didn't listen. In his violent attempts and ripping the bandages off his face, he nicked his own skin even with his blunt nails, tiny red lines beginning to litter his skin. "I don't need these!" he roared, slapping in Naruto's direction when he felt the other trying to pull his hands away from his face. "Take them off!" He got as far as yanking off half of the bandages, before he felt a weight on his lap and his wrists simultaneously being held in a tight grip. Only when he was forced to stay still, he noticed how much he was panting, taking in loud gasps of air to fill his aching lungs. Was he hyperventilating?

"Sasuke! Calm the fuck down! This isn't like you!"

"I don't care what it's like!" Although Sasuke was yelling, he could feel his energy slowly drain away like sand slipping through his fingers. Against his better judgement, he was relaxing into Naruto's warm touch, even though this situation wasn't exactly comfortable. Releasing a deep sigh and swallowing the lump in his throat, Sasuke let his limbs completely relax, signaling the blond that he wouldn't resist anymore. He was too physically and mentally drained by now to put up much resistance. Even Naruto, beaten up the way he was, was able to hold him down.

"I can read it to you."

The quiet murmur snapped Sasuke out of his own turmoiled thoughts. Clenching his jaw to stop the angry outburst he knew was bubbling up again, he merely nodded his head.

Naruto was soon standing next to the brunet's bed again, letter in hand. "Okay," he breathed shakily, quietly sighing to himself in relief. "Okay," he repeated, a bit calmer. The calming smell of books and wood drifted into his nose, memories of Itachi's apartment flashing in front of his eyes. He heard a small gasp from the bed and looked up to see Sasuke clamp a hand over his nose and mouth. "Sasuke?"

"I'm fine," the Uchiha immediately replied, dropping his hand and clenching it into a fist on his lap.

Naruto merely nodded, even though the other couldn't see. The familiar smell must have cut the other deeply, bringing back memories of his brother. Memories that were supposed to not resurface right now.

"I'll read it, okay?" Only when Sasuke nodded, Naruto opened the envelope in his hand. Taking a deep breath, feeling a sense of unease creep up on him, the blond pulled out the neatly folded piece of paper inside and unfolded it. The neat scrawl greeting him had him halt for a second to admire the beautiful handwriting. He quickly came back to the task at hand though and took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the paper. "_My dear little brother_," he began shakily, coughing to mask how unsteady his voice was, "_if you are reading this, I suppose I am already gone. I sincerely hope you are doing well and have by now realized that there is more to life than your past. You are not your own or my past, little brother, and it is not your duty to fix my mistakes for me. My burdens of the past are only mine to carry and not yours._

"_With me gone, I hope you can bury this past of ours along with me._" Feeling hot tears welling up, Naruto gulped and briefly clenched his jaw. "_Do not assume that I chose to leave this world. If I could have, I would have wanted to spend my time with you and be there to watch over you. But with the state I am in, this is impossible. I have been struggling with my sickness for years now and I know my time is near. Soon, I will be gone from this world. And when that time comes, I hope you can finally start anew and let go of all the things burdening you. _

_"You are not supposed to be the reclusive and distant person you are now. My only wish is for you to return to being the happy and carefree little brother that I have always loved dearly. Learn from my mistakes and refrain from doing the same ones. You still have time to fix everything, Sasuke. Do not let this chance go to waste. Stop wandering around aimlessly in that dark world of yours. All you need to do is let a little bit of light into your life and it will help you to let the past be the past. _

"_Live a long and healthy life, even without me at your side. I am sure there will be someone accompanying you along the way. Farewell, my dear little brother._"

Pressing his trembling lips together, Naruto suppressed his tears, feeling as though he didn't have the right to cry over someone he had only met a few times. Looking at Sasuke, he knew what was going through the other's mind. He didn't have to see the look in the Uchiha's eyes to know. All his thoughts, all his regrets, all his feelings, all of this was laid out for Naruto to see. He simply knew.

_I should have paid more attention to him._

_I shouldn't have been so selfish._

_I should have died, not him. _

_I should have noticed._

_It's all my fault._

_Why not me?_

_Why him?_

"It's not your fault, Sasuke."

_I know._

_But still…_

* * *

><p>Sasuke hadn't spoken to him after that. Hadn't commented on Naruto asking a nurse if he could stay over night and had simply gone to sleep. Naruto couldn't tell if it was because Sasuke didn't care or because he actually wanted him there. A bit of regret was nibbling at the blond's conscience. He hadn't read the entire letter to the Uchiha. There was a second part, but he thought Sasuke shouldn't know about that yet. It wasn't something the Uchiha had to know at this point. Itachi apparently had thought so as well.<p>

Making sure the brunet was sleeping soundly, Naruto got up from the uncomfortable chair he had been sitting and sleeping in. It was still early in the morning and he had about two hours to get back home and go to school. All he had to do was read whatever Itachi had wanted him to look at beforehand. He quietly left the silent hospital room, making sure to close the door behind him without a sound. Taking his phone from his pocket, he opened one of the messages Itachi had sent him. It was the only one with instructions that he hadn't followed yet. Sighing to himself since the meaning of the message was still somewhat cryptic to him, Naruto quickly made his way towards the one office in this hospital that always had the answer.

Standing in front of said office after a minute or two, Naruto could already hear loud snoring from inside. He rolled his eyes and softly rapped on the door with his knuckles. The snoring abruptly stopped and was replaced by the noise of paper being shuffled and someone rummaging around the room.

"Come in," someone groaned out from inside.

Sighing to himself, Naruto opened the door and finally stepped inside. "Hey, Granny," he greeted the obviously hung-over woman sprawled over her desk. "I hope you're not gonna perform surgery on someone today or something."

"You take care of your own business, you insolent brat," Tsunade barked, straightening up on her chair and hastily shoving away an empty sake bottle that she had probably overlooked. She knew that Naruto was aware of the countless other bottles underneath her desk, but the teen still didn't have to actually see those. "What do you want? Isn't it a _bit_ too early for you to be awake?"

"Don't mind me. Look at this." Ignoring the way Tsunade sent an indignant glare at him, Naruto stalked up to her desk, slapped Itachi's letter on it and shoved his phone in her face. "Can you tell me anything about this? Itachi wanted me to show you this. Said you'd know what this means."

After looking about ready to kill the teen, Tsunade's attention quickly shifted to the things Naruto had shoved at her. After reading the text message on Naruto's phone with narrowed eyes, she hastily looked at the second letter, her expression gradually growing more shocked.

"What?" Naruto inquired impatiently. Tsunade obviously understood those things in Itachi's messages and whatever it was, it was something that unsettled even Tsunade.

"Go to school."

"What?"

"Just go to school!" the blonde roared, pointing at the door with a manicured nail. "This has _nothing_ to do with you! Leave now or you'll be too late!"

"But–"

"Have you ever seen what a plane crash victim looks like? Well, you _will_ see cause you're gonna look like that if you don't get your annoying ass to school right_ now_."

She was right. For a moment though, Naruto considered arguing with the woman and throwing a tantrum. After all, this had _something_ to do with him. He couldn't accept just being brutally excluded like this. "Fine," he ground out through clenched teeth. He turned on the spot and loudly marched out of the room, slamming the door closed behind him. For once, he had to comply and not throw a tantrum. This matter was too important for him to be acting like an immature kid.

* * *

><p>After all that had happened, going to school now seemed like such a trivial and pointless thing.<p>

But alas, it was Monday and Naruto had duties, even if certain people had to make his life unnecessarily hard, which was why he was currently stalking down the sidewalk, the school building already visible in the distance. For once, he was actually looking forward to today's practice for the school play, although he hadn't gotten to practice much aside from when he had slept over at Kiba's. Kiba had been Juliet, a very buff one, while Chouji and Shikamaru had mimed all the other roles. Naruto didn't even know if he would be able to participate in the actual play when it premiered, but he would give his all for practicing, if only to have a goal to look forward to. Something he could use as motivation to not give up.

The fact that Kakashi wanted to go ice-skating with him didn't escape his mind either. It seemed extremely cheesy to him and given Kakashi's actions towards him in the past, Naruto wasn't sure if the man had any ulterior motives. He couldn't trust that kind smile of his from Saturday when he had brought him to Shikamaru's place. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Naruto grumbled to himself. "Weird old man. Asking me to go ice-skating with him. What's he thinking? I'm not a girl." But no matter how much he bitched and moaned about it, Naruto couldn't deny that remembering Kakashi's invitation and kind words always elicited a warm and fuzzy feeling inside him.

Now that he thought about it, he suddenly realized that he hadn't seen the man since that Saturday two days ago. He had thought Kakashi would wait in front of the Nara household in the morning to pick him up, seeing how protective he had seemed, but no one had been there and even calling him hadn't gotten Naruto anywhere. He had assumed Kakashi was off to work at Akatsuki, snooping around some more or whatever he did during his undercover work. But that Kakashi hadn't contacted him or picked up a call even once slightly unsettled Naruto. Gaara had disappeared like that as well. Without a trace.

He really hoped it was just a coincidence.

* * *

><p>School passed by in a blur.<p>

Watching the other students around him live their lives all day with seemingly useless worries made Naruto feel bitter. Bitter as though he was sick of people being so carefree, sick of constantly having something soil his happiness, sick of living.

A chipper voice calling his name from behind had Naruto sluggishly turn in his seat. Sakura was beaming at him, a glimmer of worry in her emerald eyes.

"Ready for practice?" she asked with a hopeful smile. "I hope you learned your lines properly this time."

Noticing her teasing tone, Naruto couldn't help but smile back at her slightly. He nodded silently, knowing Sakura probably had realized that something was off about him. She wouldn't pry though and he was thankful for that.

It had been announced to the class that Uchiha Sasuke would be absent from school for at least two weeks. Perhaps long enough for his eyes to recover enough for him to not lose his eyesight completely. If he was lucky. Although Tsunade had said that there was a very slim possibility that Sasuke could regain his sight somewhat if he let his eyes rest long enough, she hadn't exactly gotten Naruto's hopes up. Sasuke would more than likely remain nearly completely blind for the rest of his life.

"Come on, don't be so down!" Kiba tried to cheer the blond up, walking up from behind and wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "The asshole's gonna be up and running in no time, just wait."

Naruto could only smile back weakly, nodding his head tiredly. No one but him had seen the things that were happening to Sasuke. None of them had seen his anguish. Naruto knew what it was like to feel as though the entire world was against him, piling on trauma after trauma, suffocating him with both physical and mental pain. And he could do nothing but stand by and hope everything would turn out all right.

He was almost out of the classroom, Kiba still chattering his ear off and Sakura walking in front of him, occasionally turning to argue with Kiba or throw Naruto a soft smile. The blond was beginning to muster up the strength to talk to them instead of simply staring off into the distance and letting them talk _at _him. When he had barely parted his lips to speak, his arm was suddenly grabbed from behind and he was yanked back into the classroom. The grip was so painfully tight around his arm, it would probably leave a few nasty bruises.

Upon turning, Naruto found Kabuto staring at him with a not too happy expression.

"I would be more careful if I were you," the white-haired teacher hissed, a frown lining his features. His eyes briefly swept around the room in a suspicious manner, before settling on Naruto again. "I can't give you any details, but something is going on. Don't trust anyone."

Frowning back at the man, Naruto pondered the words for a moment. He relaxed only a little once Kabuto eased his grip slightly, but didn't release him. "So I shouldn't trust you either?"

Kabuto seemed slightly annoyed at the blunt question, but soon enough, an amused smirk pushed away the displeased frown on his pale face. "If that makes you feel safer."

Suddenly wary of the man, Naruto forcefully pulled his arm out of the man's grip, fixing his teacher with a suspicious glare. "I need to go to practice."

His smirk relaxing into a harmless smile, Kabuto held up in hands in a peaceful fashion. "I won't stop you," he laughed.

Still suspicious, Naruto quickly made his way out of the classroom, Kiba and Sakura already giving him suspicious looks from outside. He waved them both off with a nonchalant shrug, motioning for them to go towards the theater room.

"No need to hurry," Kiba grinned with his hands in his pockets. "Kakashi-sensei's just gonna be late at least half an hour again."

Sending the brunet a glare, Sakura violently poked Kiba in the arm, eliciting a sharp grunt from the taller teen. "What if today's the day he actually arrives on time, huh?"

"You know that'll never happen," the teen shot back meekly, rubbing his aching arm. Sakura's pokes were _painful_. It felt as though he had been hit with the pointy end of a freaking hammer!

They continued idly chatting on their way to practice and arrived not even two minutes later. They greeted the rest of their class in front of the locked room. People had already split up into several groups to practice lines or discuss costumes. After all, they were supposed to finally get their final costumes today. They wondered about the room being locked, since Kakashi usually sent someone to open it for them so they were able to practice even when he was late.

The locked room was another indication to Naruto that something wasn't right. Something was very, very wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was deeply unsettling him. First Gaara had disappeared without a trace and now even Kakashi seemed to be absent. What was going on?

* * *

><p>Even after half an hour, Kakashi didn't turn up. A few students, among them Sakura, decided to go to the teacher's lounge to ask if Kakashi was perhaps sick. Sitting against the wall next to the locked room together with Kiba, Naruto anxiously waited for the small group of people and the news they would bring. Perhaps Kakashi was just sick. At least he hoped so.<p>

"Stop biting your nails," Kiba suddenly chided, slapping Naruto's hand away from his face. "You're starting to bleed."

"What?" Seeing the both annoyed and concerned expression on his friend's face, Naruto eyed his fingers, only to flinch a little when he saw the slightly bloody finger tips of his right hand. "S-Sorry," he mumbled at a loss for words. He had bit his nails a lot as a child, but Mizuki had seen it as one of many reasons to beat him up, saying it was sick and nasty. So he had stopped. That the habit suddenly came back with a vengeance like this could only mean that Naruto was beyond stressed.

"Don't apologize," Kiba chuckled quietly.

In that moment, Sakura and the two students, that had accompanied her to the teacher's lounge, rounded the corner and joined up with the rest of the class. Immediately, they were bombarded with questions.

"Can we leave?"

"Is Kakashi-sensei here?"

"Do we have practice?"

Naruto didn't even have to ask. He saw Sakura shake her head with a perplexed expression and instantly he knew that Kakashi wasn't in school. When was the last time _anyone_ had seen him? Was it when he had brought Naruto to the Nara household? That was two days ago. That was a long time for someone to be gone. Did someone count as missing after two days?

"Now what?" someone asked with a confused expression matching the rest.

"We can go outside and practice," another student suggested.

Most voiced their agreement, nodding and immediately heading towards the exit. Naruto, though, only reluctantly followed the rest. Some were already rehearsing their lines again, eager to perfect their acting even if they only had minor roles. Considering how chaotic and all over the place their class had been just a while ago, seeing something like this was remarkable.

Naruto couldn't quite enjoy the shift in attitude though. Although Sakura had told everyone that Kakashi was supposedly sick, Naruto knew that couldn't true. He had been alone in Kakashi's apartment last night. He had assumed the man was working some sort of night shift, either as policeman or at Akatsuki. Kakashi had told him beforehand that he probably wouldn't be at home much, so the blond hadn't thought much of the man's absence. Kakashi being gone for longer periods of time was definitely nothing strange. But Naruto had to admit, although the man was a lazy bum that always arrived late, he was diligent in his own way. Even if he always came late, he _did_ come. Naruto couldn't remember Kakashi ever missing a day of school, despite his _extra work_ outside of school.

"Ino?" Naruto tapped the blond girl on the shoulder, smiling at her a little when she turned to him. "Do you think it'd be bad if I left already? I don't feel so good and I want to go home."

A mix of annoyance, concern and anger pooled in the girl's eyes, seeming to darken her clear sea foam green eyes. "Is it that bad?" she inquired with an edge of worry. "Can't you stay at least for the costume fitting? It's _really_ important. We're not going to focus on the main roles today anyway, so you won't have to do much. We did a lot of practice for the main roles already, but it still would be nice if you could stay."

"I don't know." Naruto sighed, suddenly feeling his muddled feelings making him sick to the stomach. Not too much, but enough to make him feel uncomfortable nonetheless. He held his stomach, feeling the color drain from his face.

"You look really pale," Ino noticed, pressing the clipboard she was holding against her chest as she reached out to press the back of her fair-skinned hand against Naruto's cheek and forehead. "You don't have a fever, but you still don't look so good," she mumbled. "I guess it's okay if you leave," she smiled, albeit reluctantly. "I'll tell a teacher you left early. And I think Kiba's about the same build as you, so we'll just use him as a reference. Just promise me to practice your lines at home. You still have problems with the long monologues. I know it's challenging, but at least try."

Naruto nodded at Ino with a steadily broadening smile, relieved that she was so compliant. He had almost expected her to force him into practice, especially with how passionate she was about organizing everything. But she wasn't that bad after all.

"Naruto?" Sakura appeared behind Naruto and shot him a puzzled look when he turned to face her. "What's going on? You're leaving?"

"Yeah, sorry," the blond sighed guiltily. "I don't think I can handle practice right now. I'll call you later." He felt bad about it, but Naruto left without another word, giving Kiba a curt wave. He could imagine Sakura crossing her arms as she watched him leave with those imploring eyes of her. She probably knew what was going on. Ever since he had told her the truth about his stalker and she had gotten involved in the whole Sasuke affair, she seemed to have become this all-knowing being that could read each and every of his thoughts and emotions. Just like when they had been kids.

Once he stepped out of the stuffy school building, a gush of biting cold air hit his face, cutting across his cheeks and feeling as though leaving scratch marks. He pulled his flimsy jacket closer around his body, hoping to keep in at least some warmth before the painfully cold air chilled him to the bone. Burying his hands in his pockets, the blond fumbled with his phone in one of them, pondering whether or not he should try to call Kakashi. He would have tried to call Gaara already if he had the redhead's number. Somehow he doubted Gaara even had a phone in the first place. Perhaps he had to go back home? And Kakashi was probably busy with work.

There really was no reason at all to worry. If anyone were to attack the people close to Naruto, they would have gone for Sakura, Kiba and Iruka first, the people he cared about most. He cared about Gaara and Kakashi a lot as well, but they weren't people to be taken down easily. They had both kicked his ass in some way at least once, so Naruto was slowly feeling ridiculous for worrying about them. It was like worrying about a fish in a lake drowning when it rained too much.

Really, he was reading too much into these coincidences.

A smile broadening on his until then gloomy face, Naruto's gait became less slouched and uncertain. He strolled across the side walk with a bit of a bounce, trying to savor this peaceful moment. He knew for sure that soon enough he wouldn't get to enjoy this kind of carefreeness for a while. Things would change. Forever.

After that, it didn't take long to reach Kakashi's apartment. Situated in a large box-like gray building, it could be easily overlooked. It was as bland and unobtrusive as Kakashi seemed on first glance. The apartment building easily blended into the rest of the scenery. The perfect place for an undercover agent, probably.

Releasing a loud sigh and feeling his bag slowly slide off his aching shoulder, Naruto wandered up the many flights of stairs. He flinched when his bag suddenly hit the dusty ground with a thud. Its strap had broken, the bag slipping from his shoulder. Dropping his head back to stare up at the gray ceiling caked with dirt and spider webs, he groaned in annoyance, a long, dragged out sound of pure frustration. After leaning down to pick up the damaged bag, he continued on his way with only two flights of stairs left to ascend. Why did Kakashi have to live so far up anyway? Couldn't he have gotten an apartment in the second or third floor? Why did it have to be the seventh floor? And in a building with no elevator!

Groaning once again, Naruto slowly shuffled the rest of the way up the stairs, rubbing at his tired eyes. He ruffled his hair once he arrived in front of Kakashi's door, let his bag drop to the square carpet in front of the door and kneeled down to rummage around his bag for his keys. Only after some cussing and annoyed frowning, he found them at the very bottom, immediately straightening up to unlock the damn door. But when he inserted the key into the key hole, he noticed something off. Kakashi usually looked his front door at least three times, but now it opened with only half a turn of the gleaming silver key.

It wasn't locked.

Gulping, Naruto pushed the door open a little and picked his bag back up.

_Kakashi's probably back_.

Feeling a shaky smile curl his lips, Naruto felt a sense of relief wash over him. If Kakashi's door was unlocked, that meant he was back, right?

Pushing the door open further, the blond entered the apartment with a loud "I'm back!". After locking the door behind him as Kakashi had told him to, Naruto dropped the keys on top of the wooden cupboard next to him, the jingling of the keys grating on his tense nerves. The sound suddenly reminded him of bullets hitting the ground. The noise seemed to echo throughout the small entrance way, bouncing off of the bare white walls and back into Naruto's ears a thousand times.

Although there was only utter silence.

Feeling the tips of his cold fingers go numb and tingly, Naruto took off his jacket and hung it up on the small black coat stand to his left. He gasped when the jacket slipped right off and onto the ground, making the stand waver dangerously. Naruto steadied it first before picking his jacket back up and hanging it up properly.

Still, deathly silence.

A very distinct smell drifted into Naruto's nose, seeming to spread through his entire system in an instant, taking over his mind like a raging tidal wave. At first he couldn't identify the smell, only feeling a cold chill run down his spine, a dizzying sense of impending doom washing over him. Heart racing, chest aching, a cold numbness freezing him in place, Naruto finally recognized the smell.

That horribly pungent fragrance.

That disgusting smell of buried agony, broken dreams and whispered lies.

Of blood.

The scent first hit him with a sickeningly volatile and sweet fragrance, before morphing into that distinct metallic stench and dissolving with a salty undertone. Feeling his body tense up, joints locking, Naruto could almost feel the warm blood drifting through his fingers, the thick red liquid sliding across his skin like a deceptively soft caress.

Mind numb, body numb, he stepped forward, through the thick waves of poignant phantom pain. The wooden floor boards gave way and creaked beneath his quiet steps, the eery sound racing through the air like a thin trail of needles. The singing of silence drew him towards the living room to his left. He ignored the stairs and wandered towards the slightly ajar door, slowly reaching out towards the door knob. By the time his fingers slid over the cold metal knob, the stench of blood was engulfing him like a sweet blanket.

Heart hammering in his chest, he let his unfeeling fingertips linger on the knob. What would he see when he opened this door? What would change?

Naruto couldn't tell if it happened because of him pushing it, but the door suddenly creaked open painstakingly slow, inch for inch revealing the inside. He kept his gaze trained on the carpeted off-white floor, hearing his own blood rush in his ears.

First, he saw a pale hand, clad in a black fingerless glove.

Another step forward.

He saw the arm belonging to the pale hand.

Another step.

A shoulder.

Another step.

Blood.

A pool of glistening liquid.

Shut eyes, tousled hair, torn clothes.

"Kakashi…"

Sinking to his knees, Naruto's eyes jumped back and forth between all the cuts littering the man's skin, the various gashes that streams of blood were leaking from. Kakashi was sprawled in between the couch and the shattered TV, shards of glass embedded in his deathly white skin. Out of the corner of his eyes, the blond saw something peak out from behind the black couch.

Another hand.

Just as pale. Caked in dried blood. Unreal.

Digging his fingers into the soft carpet beneath him, Naruto cautiously crawled towards the hand. Slowly rising to his feet, he used the couch as a support as he glanced around the piece of furniture.

Again, he fell to his knees, hand clamped over his dry mouth as his stomach turned at the sight currently burning itself into his retinas.

Cold, dead eyes sucking the light out of his own, staring into nothingness. Skin white as a sheet, splattered with red. A gash as wide as his palm, mostly hidden by the shirt on top. Maroon hair glistening in the sunlight streaming in through the window. Those ruby strands were the only thing that seemed alive in this room.

The sight of the gaping wound across Gaara's stomach made something boil in Naruto's guts. Something that soon enough came shooting up his throat like a burning lump of liquid metal. The blond had the common sense to rush towards the hallway to hurl the contents of his stomach onto the wooden floor instead of the carpet in the living room. His hands trembled when he scrambled back into the living room and collapsed beside Gaara. His wound wasn't bleeding. Not much, at least. Was that a good or a bad sign? Gulping, Naruto hesitantly peeled away some of the torn shirt covering the wound. He immediately pulled his hand away when he caught a glimpse of the full extent of the injury.

Was it possible to survive with that kind of wound?

Pressing shaking fingers against Gaara's neck, Naruto felt for a pulse. Hoping to feel that reassuring rhythm against his fingertips. Hoping for a sign of life. But nothing. There was no pulse. Nothing.

Dropping his hand, Naruto could only stare into those dead turquoise eyes, their color reminding him of murky ocean water.

Was this reality?

It couldn't be.

Something in Naruto's mind didn't click. Couldn't put two and two together. Stuck like mismatching cog wheels. And so he rushed over to Kakashi to check on him as well. His current guardian didn't seem to have any deep wounds, but they were bad enough for the man to have a pool of blood surround him. When Naruto pressed his fingers against Kakashi's cold neck, he again couldn't feel anything.

But then he felt the steady rhythm against his finger. A pulse. A faint pulse against his fingertips.

Before the action even registered in his mind, Naruto was holding his phone and dialing emergency services. Not even a second later, a click came from the other line, along with a passive voice.

_"Emergency services, where is your emergency located?"_

Naruto gave the operator his name and the address of Kakashi's apartment, struggling to keep his voice steady, vision blurry with tears that wouldn't fall. "S-Someone… attacked them." Naruto wanted to say more, so much more, but his throat closed up the moment he tried to force out more words. The dispatcher kept asking him questions about the _victims_, asking if they were conscious, if they were breathing, how severe their wounds were. All these questions made one thing clear in his mind.

They could both die.

Two of the most important people in his life could die.

Naruto hung up once the dispatcher assured him that an ambulance was on its way, ignoring all her other questions. Trying to remember the instructions the dispatcher had given him, he began to hastily take care of any injuries as best as he could, stopping any bleeding, dressing injuries, throwing blankets over the two. Soon, blood stuck to his fingers, his wrists, his face. Like paint. When he felt like there was nothing else he could do for Gaara and Kakashi, he sat cross-legged in front of Kakashi's motionless form. Suddenly, it was as though the world around him was darkening rapidly, as if someone was throwing a heavy black vail over his head. His world was crumbling around him, breaking down, caving in. It buried him in its rubble, tossing him down into a deep, dark hole he couldn't get out of no matter how much he struggled.

With confusion he realized that he was weeping without crying. No tears escaped his eyes, yet he was screaming. Was it supposed to be like this? Wasn't he supposed to shed tears?

_It's all _his_ fault_.

Once that thought crossed his mind, Naruto silenced completely.

_If it wasn't for him…_

He was on his feet faster than he could even think to stand up.

_None of this would be happening._

Glancing at both Kakashi and Gaara one last time, he stormed towards the front door and tore his jacket off the rack on his way.

_He needs to _pay_._

Once outside, he pulled on his jacket and yanked his phone out of his pocket to quickly write Sakura a text, telling her to immediately come to Kakashi's apartment to let the paramedics in, letting her know the location of the spare key. He wouldn't be here to do that.

_He needs to _suffer_._

A burning coil of rage unfolded in Naruto's guts, hot anger seeming to overtake all of his being. An enraged scowl etched into his features, he locked the front door and dashed down the several staircases.

He knew that sick fuck was probably watching him even now.

I'll_ make him pay._

* * *

><p>Blinded by rage, fingers itching to eradicate, mind tumbling, Naruto roughly shouldered past people, sky blue eyes brimming with boiling anger. The few people meeting gazes with him by chance felt as though burned by a poisonous fire.<p>

_Come out, you fucker._

Naruto was rushing around aimlessly, waiting for the unknown to show up like it always did.

_I know you're there._

Restlessly clenching and unclenching his fists, he turned corner for corner, ignoring the people he ran over in his frantic search, not even feeling the impact of bodies slamming into him. Indignant shouts and insults followed him on his way, shocked gasps and shouts surrounding him wherever he went, his blood-stained features a terrifying sight.

_"He'll curse you."_

_"Don't meet his eyes."_

_"It's the Kyuubi brat."_

_"You'll die."_

_Shut up or I'll kill you._

Naruto sent pointed glares of hate at anyone that dared to look at him in that typical disapproving way. Even after so many years, people still held on to their ridiculous beliefs.

_Morons_.

He suddenly stopped at an intersection and let his eyes trail over the countless people wandering about. The surrounding people sent him wary glances, speaking in hushed tones and either nervously shuffling past him or purposely ramming their shoulders into him.

Releasing a frustrated sound when he couldn't make out anyone suspicious, Naruto lowered his head and tried to burn a hole into the asphalt with his glare. Crossing his arms tightly and tapping his foot restlessly, he tried to find a solution. Today was the day. Today was his last day. His last day of peace. Had his stalker finally given up on him? Then who had attacked Kakashi and Gaara? Mizuki?

_No way…_

Mizuki was a terrifying psychopath, but nowhere near capable of taking out _both_ Kakashi and Gaara like that. Or was he?

_Doesn't matter._

No matter if it was some creepy freak following him around or his sadistic adoptive father, he would find them and give them a piece of his mind. And not just that.

_Maybe I should go somewhere more secluded._

Uncrossing his tense arms, Naruto slipped his fidgety hands into his pockets and again shoved past people while ignoring the fact that he was running others over. He couldn't care less what random strangers thought of him. They already had their opinion about him set in stone and nothing would change that. Nothing at all. He used to agonize over why people didn't like him, but now he simply accepted it as part of life. He had friends and family to care about him. He didn't need random strangers to like him.

Keeping his eyes trained on the ground, Naruto soon wandered into a less populated part of Konoha. When he glanced up to check where he was, he found himself in front of a diner. Inside, he could see the stereotypical happy family eating and laughing together. The clean-cut father joking around with the delighted daughter and the caring mother wiping sauce from the mischievous son's check.

Naruto didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous. Why wouldn't he be? But he quickly tore his eyes away from the sight and continued on his way. He wouldn't be that pitiful orphan standing in front of the diner longingly staring at the happy family. He had his dignity. He didn't need that kind of family. He had Iruka and Kakashi and his friends. He didn't need the stereotypical family. To him, family didn't have to be a mother and a father that he was related to by blood. He had Iruka to fuss over him and Kakashi to protect him and that was enough.

A brief smile stole away the scowl on Naruto's face. How could he have ever been so unhappy, drowning in self-pity? Iruka had always been there. His friends had always been there. There had never been a reason to be so unhappy. Well, aside from everything related to Mizuki and the fact that everyone in Konoha but a selected few absolutely hated his guts and would love to see him dead.

Cold fingers suddenly slid across Naruto's face. Like thin spider legs they danced across his skin, closing over his mouth. An arm wrapped around his middle, squeezing his sides painfully, the sudden pressure almost making him gag. His feet left the ground, all his weight hovering in the air. With a jab and a shove he was suddenly being dragged away. Away from the bright, inviting light emitted by the small diner, away from the colorless cars in the distance about to pass by, away from people.

Engulfed by numbing darkness, something glinted in the shadows. It raced towards the blond like a bullet, piercing into his neck, breaking skin, tearing into his flesh.

A blood-curdling scream made its way from his chest to his throat, but never passed his lips as he suddenly felt himself grow numb. Light and shadow faded into nothingness, any pain and any feeling disappearing into a void. His legs grew weak and the hands he had raised to defend himself against his assailant limply fell to his sides. He could feel himself being picked up and carried away like a rag doll, before his world seemed to cease to exist, dipped in black.

* * *

><p>I know this chapter turned out shorter than some of the past few ones, but I wanted to end it at this point and tease everyone with another malicious cliffhanger. This chapter would have been out three weeks ago if I my hard drive hadn't failed right before I was done writing it <em>and<em> I hadn't gotten really sick afterwards. And it would have been out _way_ sooner if it wasn't for fucking EXO suddenly coming to Berlin and ruining an entire week for me. I saw them everyday, died everyday and I even tugged at Luhan's sleeve to ask him to sign my _Growl _album and he said something in Chinese to me and asdfgdsdfghhfdsdfghjk

Also, I've been extremely busy with both my tumblr blogs, mostly my secondary blog (fuckyeahzitao, in case anyone's interested). It just reached over 1,100 followers and it's to the point that when you google '_Huang Zitao_', it's the second result after EXO's official Wikipedia page, like holy shit what the fuck is going on.

Edit: Shit's happening. A small summary: bank appointments, newly developed allergy, have to get a job so I have health insurance and _can_ go to see a doctor about my allergy, fucking EXO, fucking Super Junior coming to London and me going there and organizing shit, fucking RED coming to Germany and me going there and organizing shit, three day anime and manga convention, my birthday.

I'm genuinely surprised I managed to squeeze in time to write this chapter in between all that, even though I had to take a break for a some weeks.

– Murasaki B

P.S. I think I was high or something when I wrote the second paragraph from the end. Seriously, what the fuck, me


	38. Blurred Realm

If you're wondering what happened to my pen name and profile, that's just temporary. One of my IRL friends found out my internet name and I don't want him snooping around in my stories. That he found my tumblr is bad enough. Not sure when I'm gonna change everything back to normal.

And I'm guessing everyone is used to chapters not coming quickly by now. My chapters are pretty long now though, so I partially blame that. I've honestly been having problems with writer's blocks a lot of times, which seems to always happen when I reach the end of chapters. I'm usually done with 75% of new chapters after about two weeks, but then it takes me a few more weeks to wrap them up. I run into a lot of trouble in that period of time, but there's really nothing I can do about it. I'd have to shorten chapters, but I'm not gonna do that cause that's gonna mess up my plot stuff. You don't want chapters without my evil cliffhangers, right?

So deal with it and enjoy the chapter.

…

Please.

…

Thank you.

…

(I love you)

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXVIII<span>  
><span>– Blurred Realm –<span>

Frayed at the edges, the blurred sound of agitated shouting and the clattering of metal wheels against tiled floor startled Sasuke out of his sleep. He slowly sat up in his bed, feeling joints click in place and his muscles aching from lying on this uncomfortable mattress for so long. The noise outside didn't ease up and seemed to only grow louder. Scowling to himself in annoyance, Sasuke carefully eased himself out of bed to walk towards the door of his private room. The cold tiles against his bare feet sent uncomfortable little jolts up his legs and the wide open window to his side suddenly seemed to mock him.

It was with a sense of agitation that Sasuke finally found and turned the cold metal knob to swing the door open. He almost let out a growl of frustration when he realised why Tsunade had given him that smug and cocky smirk when assigning him his room: his room was apparently right across from the emergency room. The brunet recalled waking up in the middle of the night to similar noise, but it had been so brief that he had immediately gone back to sleep. This, though, was different. Whatever had happened at night couldn't have been as severe as this. This was so grave that even the doctors and nurses, who were wheeling in what sounded like two stretchers, seemed panicked. And since the ER had no doors, Sasuke could hear very clearly what was going on inside.

There were at least three doctors and five or six nurses taking care of the two newly brought in patients. There was an incessant beeping, the clinking of metal utensils, shouting, shuffling. Screaming babies, sneezing, coughing, weeping, mumbling, the sounds of an ER, were the backdrop to the frantic struggle to save two lives.

"Hang the next two units on the infuser!"

"Hold on!"

"Where's the critical care surgeon!"

Countless machines going off with monotonous beeping.

"Get outta the way!"

"I'm tubing him!"

Glass shattering.

"His pulse pressure is too narrow!"

"Get this blood out of his abdominal area!"

Shocked murmuring.

"BP is nine over fifty!"

"Right pupil is five millimetres and reacting! Left pupil–"

Sasuke quickly shuffled back into his room and shut his door. He didn't have to hear all this. He couldn't. Hearing those things made him ponder things he couldn't handle at the moment. Too many _What if_'s and _If only_'s.

_"Kakashi-san?"_

The muffled shout reached Sasuke even through the door, making him freeze in place in horror.

_"He's conscious!" _that same voice exclaimed again. _"Kakashi-san? Can you hear me? Please stay awake!"_

As though his heart had stopped beating, Sasuke stood rooted in place, the blood that had just been rushing through his veins now motionless. Anxiety's frigid claws closed around his chest, squeezing relentlessly and taking his breath.

_Why is Kakashi here?_

Shaking his head in confusion, Sasuke suddenly turned to quietly and very slowly open his door back up. But as soon as his hand touched the door knob, he halted. There were two stretchers. Two stretchers with two severely injured people on them. If Kakashi was on one of them, who was on the other one?

Gulping, Sasuke tried to banish these unsettling thoughts, but no matter how much he tried, the image of blood-stained blond hair and lifeless sky blue eyes wouldn't leave his mind. And judging by the shouting outside, the second person's chances at survival didn't seem very high.

As he felt the heart in his aching chest come to a startling halt, Sasuke decided it would be best to simply catch a glimpse of what was going on. It was the only way he could calm himself at this point. So with a deep breath that he noisily released through his nose, he changed into his clothes from the day before that were thrown over a chair and began to unwrap the bandages around his eyes. Inch for inch, he could feel the pressure of the bandages around his head lessen with each pull. The material felt painfully rough against his finger tips, so it was with a satisfied sigh that he pulled off the last bit. He kept his eyes shut, only slowly opening them little by little. First his right eye, then slowly his left one. He rubbed at them, blinking. Luckily, the room wasn't too bright so he wasn't immediately assaulted by blinding light.

He could see. That was the first thing he noticed.

Sasuke eyed his surroundings and immediately his heart sank. Everything around him was only a blur. Fuzzy blotches of colour and barely visible shapes. This was when he realised that the light didn't bother him because he couldn't exactly see much of it. He _knew_ it was daytime, but to him it looked as though the sun had just set, dipping the room in semi-darkness.

After releasing a frustrated sigh, Sasuke finally heard the obnoxiousness that was the ER again. People were still shouting over each other, agitated voices mingling into a loud, indistinguishable ruckus. Just so finding the door, Sasuke wandered towards it again and wrapped his hand around the knob. With a curt gulp he turned it, almost flinching when the wooden door gave a long, eery creak. Although quiet, it still caused a Sasuke's shoulders to slightly tense up. Slowly inching the door open a little wider, Sasuke at first couldn't make out much. He could vaguely recognise the corridor in front of his room, then the large entrance to the ER and the frantically moving forms clad in greens and blues inside. They stuck out like sore thumbs against the bland colours of their surroundings.

A hand against the frame of his door, Sasuke remained standing where he was, trying and failing to see what was lying at the centre of the moving forms. He could vaguely make out two silhouettes lying on tables, but other than the glistening bright red colour splotched across their bodies and the white of pale skin, there wasn't much he could see for sure.

Sasuke heard more than saw a nurse quickly approaching from the right and quickly ducked back into his room until he heard her pass him. Once he was sure she was gone, he carefully inched back out, trying another time to find radiant gold among those blotches of bright red, pale white and dull green.

"Get Tsunade-sama! His lungs are done for!"

A green blur came racing out of the ER and Sasuke realised that it didn't matter if anyone saw him out of bed. People were currently too busy trying to save those two people on the tables. Frowning, Sasuke finally noticed how hard his heart was hammering in his chest. When he reached up to clamp a hand over his chest, he also noticed his trembling fingers. Bringing them up to his face, he almost laughed a bitter laugh when he could just so make out the shaking of his own fingers. So anything that was more than an arm's length away was indistinguishable?

The steady clicking of shoes against tiled floor alarmed Sasuke of the arrival of the head physician of the hospital. He could hear her animatedly conversing with another person, juggling around options and discussing further actions. Once she came into view, Sasuke was sure Tsunade locked eyes with him, judging by the way her silhouette turned into his direction and he could make out her lipstick tinted lips.

She turned towards the green blob beside her and mumbled something about preparing the operation room, to which the other – perhaps – nodded and ran off. "Uchiha," she addressed the teen in a commanding voice, "I have a favour to ask you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, aware that his fingers were still trembling. He clenched his hands into fists, trying to force his hands to stay still. "What kind of favour?" he returned in a steady and even voice. So unlike what he actually felt.

"There is a person inside the ER that has lost a massive amount of blood, whose lungs are just about finished and who will die if he doesn't get a shiny new pair of lungs within the next hour."

Sasuke had to stop himself from asking what he so desperately wanted to know. Coldly glaring into the general direction of Tsunade's eyes, he scoffed. "What does this got to do with me?"

"Your brother," the blond dead-panned.

Gripping the door frame a little tighter, Sasuke gulped again. "You want me to agree to…" Then it dawned on him. It dawned on him and massive relief washed over him like a tidal wave that almost swept him off of his feet. He almost sank in on himself, but held himself up.

After all, Itachi was an AB blood type.

"You _know_ the person," Tsunade murmured in a low voice.

Slowly, Sasuke's grip on the door frame weakened. Until his hand bonelessly slid down the smooth expanse of wood.

_What would_ he_ do?_

_What would he say?_

_Would he even hesitate?_

Sasuke didn't have to think long to find an answer. The answer already existed clearly in his mind, easy to be found. Loosely placing his knuckles against the door frame, he slightly cocked his head at the blonde in front of him. "Do it." He didn't have to actually see to know that Tsunade was smirking at him. In fact, the way the bright red blotch that was her lips shifted indicated just that.

"Good," Tsunade mumbled to herself. And for the first time, she seemed to regard Sasuke with something other than disdain and suspicion. Suddenly, cocking her head, she shot him a look that could easily be translated to _Are you a fucking moron?_ "Why are you out of bed?"

"I was getting cramped up."

"Why are your bandages off?"

"They fell off while I was sleeping. I'm a very restless sleeper, you see."

Again, the _"Are you a fucking moron"_-look. Tsunade shot the taller teen a disbelieving glare, her jaw slightly agape. "Have a nurse redo your bandages," she huffed out eventually. "And get back to bed." She briefly patted the brunet's cheek, before turning on the spot and leaving the way she came, heels clicking and blond ponytails swaying with her purposeful steps.

Sasuke watched her leave until she was out of sight, slowly returning into his room. The door clicked shut behind him, blocking out some of the ruckus outside. Kakashi had apparently fallen unconscious again and it still didn't look good for the other person by the sounds of it. If this person was to receive an organ donation from Itachi, they would have to be an AB blood type like him. Another relieved sigh slipped through Sasuke's dry lips at the thought. Bonelessly swiping a hand over his face when Sasuke noticed the smile that had stolen across his face, he dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling he could barely see. A dry chuckle burst out of his throat, a tired and worn out sound.

He was exhausted. Not just physically. Mentally he was simply completely drained. Too many things were happening one after another, with no time to reflect and deal with all these issues. _What is going on?_

Sasuke could suddenly hear someone come running down the corridor outside of his room. Only seconds later, the person came to a halt right in front of his room.

_"How are they?" _a soft voice inquired hesitantly and with an edge of panic.

Sasuke immediately recognised the voice. A million thoughts suddenly raced through his now frantic mind, his tired body suddenly wide awake after a zap of energy seemed to have flash through his limbs. _She could know something_.

_"So far their conditions aren't good,"_ a male voice responded quietly, remorsefully. _"Kakashi-san isn't stable yet, so it's hard to say if he will make it. The next few hours will be critical. The other one…"_

The man – Sasuke assumed he was a doctor – trailed off, letting his dreadful words hang in the air.

_"How is he?" _the soft voice insisted.

The doctor released a heavy sigh, probably shaking his head. _"The other one is barely hanging on and much too close to flat-lining. If he doesn't get a lung transplant immediately, he has no chance."_

_"Doctor!" _another voice chimed in from farther away.

_"Coming! I need to leave."_

_"Okay,"_ the girl mumbled quietly.

Sasuke could hear the man run off, shouting orders and only adding to the ruckus. He waited until he was sure there was no one else standing in front of his thin door, before suddenly flinging it open, blindly grabbing the arm he could vaguely make out and yanking the person inside. Once the girl was inside, he shut his door and positioned himself in front of it.

"Sasuke?"

Looking up to meet green blobs of colour, Sasuke straightened up. "Sakura."

The pink-haired girl sputtered for a moment, before seeming to regain her bearings rather quickly and slowly taking a step back. "So you were in this room," she murmured to herself.

"What's going on?"

Sakura didn't answer immediately, opting to stay silent and eye the room for a moment. Eventually though, she seemed unable to continue ignoring Sasuke's piercing gaze. "Kakashi-sensei and Gaara-kun were attacked. They're both in pretty bad condition."

"How do you know about this?" Sasuke couldn't see, but he was sure Sakura didn't want to tell him what he was asking for. Something was seriously wrong with this situation. And it was unsettling him. Unsettling him so much that his damn fingers wouldn't stop trembling.

"Naruto…"

If only he could see her face properly and read her expression. "Naruto what?"

A sharp sigh. "He texted me. He said I should come over to Kakashi's apartment and take care of them." She seemed to cross her arms, posture instantly becoming defensive. "I had to let the paramedics in with the spare key."

"Where is he now?"

She turned away from him. What little understanding Sasuke had of her feelings was now gone. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Sasuke repeated with an edge of accusation.

"He won't answer any of my calls or texts," she replied quickly. "No one has seen him since he left school early. He said he didn't feel good. I guess he got worried when Kakashi-sensei didn't show up for practice and went to check if he was home. Must've found them then. You can imagine what he's doing now."

Sasuke wanted to yell at her. Yell at her about how much of a shitty friend she was for letting Naruto go like that despite knowing what he was planning to do. But hearing the way her voice wavered and occasionally being able to make out the red colour rimming her eyes, he bit his tongue to not lash out at her. What was she supposed to do in this situation? What was anyone supposed to do? What was _he_ supposed to do?

She was shaking.

For a second, Sasuke remembered all the things that had led up to him being in this hospital. Stalking around the cold town for several days without resting, arguing with Naruto, the excruciating pain. Danzo resting only a few doors away. Now that Sasuke was a patient and most people were distracted by the commotion anyway, he had the best chances to get to Danzo. Finding a way to distract the guards would be easy with this much chaos. Was Naruto really worth giving up this chance of a lifetime?

_The medications must be getting to me._

"I'll find him." When Sasuke laid his hand on the Sakura's head, he could feel her flinch, before she lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Everything will be fine." Now he could clearly see her puffy and red eyes, features weary and pale. Her pink hair suddenly seemed unbelievably dull. But maybe that was just his messed up sight.

Sakura suddenly giggled to herself when Sasuke dropped his hand, a small smile spreading across her face. "Naruto said the same things."

_Figured the dumbass would promise her something like that_,Sasuke mused with a barely there smirk.

With the next words, Sakura's voice broke slightly. "And he kept his promise." Sniffling, she quickly reached up to wipe over her red eyes. "Mostly, at least," she laughed quietly. "I'm so glad."

Sasuke stared at the floor while Sakura regained her bearings, sniffling occasionally. At the moment, the white tiled floor was the only thing that he could make out easily. That wasn't causing him uncertainty and insecurity. The only constant.

"What do you want to do now?"

Sakura's sudden question snapped Sasuke out of his staring. He shot the girl a quick glance, before staring at the floor again. "I need to start _somewhere_. Kakashi's apartment, I guess." Without another word, he left the room, hearing Sakura sputter and quickly follow after him.

"But–" After a brief glare from the brunet, Sakura lowered her voice. "But you can't _see_," she whispered. "How are you going to get there without getting run over by a car? Or walking into walls?"

The brunet immediately turned his head to hiss a response. "Sakura, I won't walk into–" Sasuke's sentence was suddenly interrupted by something solid and cold. Something flat. A wall. The muffled snort behind him didn't go unnoticed by the teen. "Not a _word_," he growled through gritted teeth.

"I'm not saying anything," Sakura murmured in a clearly mirthful tone.

Clenching his teeth in annoyance, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if things were going to work out like this.

* * *

><p>Sakura's hand around his arm just so stopped Sasuke from walking into a speeding car. How had he not heard it come screeching his way?<p>

"You need to be more careful," Sakura chided softly, probably giving him a concerned yet annoyed look.

Sighing to himself, Sasuke shoved his hands into his coat's pockets, a frown curling his lips. He suddenly felt like a little boy being scolded by his mother. "Aren't we there yet?" he questioned in a low voice. He knew where Kakashi lived but he couldn't make out his surroundings, so where exactly they were at the moment was a mystery to him. "Didn't you say we only had to take one bus?"

"Yeah, were almost there."

Sasuke felt a light tap against his elbow and began walking across the street. Shortly after they had exited the hospital, Sakura had started tapping his elbow whenever they were about to cross streets, signalling him when it was safe to go. Whenever he tried going anywhere by himself, he ended up almost walking in front of driving cars or bicycles, even when he relied on his ears to guide him. Doing this without Sakura's help probably wouldn't have ended well.

"Now left," Sakura murmured.

Sasuke followed her voice, letting the pink-haired girl go ahead so he could simply follow the light pink blob of colour in front of him. Somehow he thought she would notice him lagging behind and immediately walk closer to him, but even when she noticed she didn't say a thing and simply continued forward. She kept her distance. "Sakura…"

The girl shifted her head towards him slightly, but didn't turn around.

"Weren't you infatuated with me a few years ago? What happened to that?" Sasuke knew he sounded arrogant and snarky, but he was asking out of genuine curiosity. And he knew Sakura would understand that.

Sakura laughed to herself a little, before dropping her head a little. "A lot changed the past few years," she mumbled, hunching her shoulders a little. "I guess you could say that I grew up a bit. All of us did. Especially with all the things that happened to Naruto, I realised that my friendship with you is way more important to me than pursuing some one-sided… crush. Thinking back to it, I feel a little embarrassed about how much I harassed you. Sorry for that."

Sasuke remained silent after that, staring at the asphalt in front of him while keeping Sakura in his field of vision, so he would continue going the right way.

Indeed, a lot had changed the past few years. If only he had been there. Maybe things would have gone differently.

_What if I hadn't left?_

"This is it."

Woken out of his thoughts by Sakura's voice, Sasuke glanced up to see a big gray block in front of him. Probably the building Kakashi lived in.

"Looks like the police is gone," Sakura mumbled absent-mindedly, briefly stopping in front of the building. "They came right when I arrived." Walking towards the big gray block, she suddenly chuckled in a hollow manner, dropping her head. "I couldn't even answer any of their questions. _Did you see anything? Does a possible perpetrator come to mind? Do you know the location of the person that called the ambulance?_ I couldn't answer any of those questions. All I can ever do is stand by and watch. It's been like this for years. Naruto won't ever rely on me with problems like this."

With how dark the staircase of his building was, Sasuke had trouble seeing the girl in front of him clearly and more than once nearly tripped over nonexistent steps.

"He used to tell me _everything_, you know," Sakura laughed softly, "back in kindergarten. Even when he had his first crush on _me_, instead of keeping it a secret, he immediately told me and was really excited about it. He even proposed to me. And that's when I thought I wanted to marry him. My parents always told me to marry someone I love a lot and Naruto fit the bill. I love him a lot. But Ino became my first female friend when I was ten and she told me to not give in to a guy too easily. So I rejected Naruto. It was meant as a childish joke in the beginning and none of us really took it serious. But then you came along and I also had my first crush."

Keeping his eyes trained on the floor now, Sasuke merely followed the motion of a body in front of him. Listening patiently. With only a hint of curiosity. Or was it something else?

"Naruto got jealous, Ino got jealous, I became obsessed and meanwhile you didn't really care. Looks like we were stuck in a love square all by ourselves. Now that I think about it, I'm actually really glad you took no part in it. I'm not sure if I could have stayed friends with Naruto and Ino if you had. No matter who you would have chosen, it would have destroyed years of friendship. In the worst case, I would have lost _both_ Naruto and Ino."

Sasuke nearly stopped in his tracks when he suddenly heard Sakura gasp in surprise. When he looked up from the floor, it was just in time to catch Sakura turn around to him.

"Is _that_ why you never showed any interest in us?" she questioned animatedly. "Because you didn't want our friendship to fall apart?"

He knew it would have no effect, but Sasuke shot an uncaring look in the girl's general direction, hoping to convey his thoughts that way.

"I guess that's not it," Sakura chuckled, facing forward again with a slight skip to her steps. "It would have been much easier if you and Naruto had just gotten together."

This is when Sasuke choked on his spit a little. "What?" he forced out.

"You know…" She trailed off, turned her head towards him but not meeting his eyes, "in middle school. Maybe he would have succeeded in stopping you from going. He could have played the pregnant card on you and forced you into staying to take care of the baby. Now I wonder what kind of baby you would get when mixing you guys' genes. An obnoxiously loud kid that scowls and glares at people all the time, but is really happy? Or a really jumpy and energetic kid that never talks and hates everything? It's both pretty bizarre. Gives me the creeps."

"Naruto's a guy."

Sakura shrugged, walking down a corridor now instead of climbing another staircase. "Who knows," she murmured. "A lot is possible with today's technology."

Sasuke could deny it as much as he wanted, but it was a fact that at this point in time, he couldn't suppress the small amused snort that escaped his mouth. And Sakura heard it loud and clear.

"This is Kakashi-sensei's apartment," Sakura suddenly announced, stopping in front of a bland door that easily blended into the rows of entrances to both sides. She pulled a shiny silver key from her bag and unlocked it, the door swinging open with a dragged out sigh of a screech. "It still smells," she mumbled more to herself.

Sasuke didn't even have to ask what smell she was talking about. He could smell it just fine. And it was making things flash before his eyes that had been locked away years ago. Somewhere in the deep crevices of his mind, these memories had been buried. Until now.

"Are you okay?"

He should have guessed Sakura would figure out what was wrong. She was way too insightful on other people's mood changes and thought processes. "I'll manage," Sasuke murmured begrudgingly. Sakura knew what was wrong, so there was no point in lying. "So where did it happen?" he immediately urged, trying to change the subject.

"In the living room."

Following the girl as she walked into another room, Sasuke could feel the overwhelming stench of death enter his nostrils and seeming to poison his thoughts. The smell infested his mind, forcing him to go through all kinds of scenarios. Scenarios where he soon had trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy.

"Kakashi-sensei was lying here, between the couch and the TV," Sakura explained. "Both were shattered to pieces. Looks like they cleaned up most of it." The girl then stepped away from the big patch of red on the carpet and towards the couch, kneeling down in front of a second big patch of red. This one was much, _much_ bigger. She curled in on herself a little, arms around her middle, shoulders hunched. "This is where Gaara-kun was. The police searched the entire apartment and probably came up with some theories, but they wouldn't tell me anything."

Slowly calming his mind, Sasuke tried to eye the room for anything that struck him as strange, but this turned out to be useless since _nothing_ struck him _at all_. Everything was a blur after all. "Is there blood anywhere else but on the carpet?"

"Huh?" Sakura initially met the question with surprise, but then seemed to ponder and examine the room. "Doesn't seem like it. There are some splashes on the glass shards, but that's probably because Kakashi-sensei was on top of them. Does that mean they weren't actually attacked in here?"

Nodding, Sasuke crossed his arms and eyed the big patches of blood again. "Gaara's injuries are severe so he must have been bleeding very heavily."

"So he was brought here in a… probably… in a bag of sorts," Sakura continued hesitantly.

"In a body bag," Sasuke dead-panned, arms crossed. "Did the police say anything about Kakashi?"

"Looks like most of his injuries didn't come from falling into the glass table or any sorta of trauma. In the ER I saw that he was stabbed in the torso multiple times. But apparently no major organs were pierced since the wounds are pretty shallow."

"So the attacker _wanted_ Naruto to find them like this? Looks like he didn't care much wether they died or lived. Seems like a warning. But why use _them_?"

"Someone is stalking Naruto," Sakura suddenly blurted out, flinching a little when Sasuke turned towards her with a murderous look in his dull eyes. "Has been for a few months," she added quietly. "Naruto thinks it's someone other than Mizuki. I didn't want to tell the police because Naruto told me not to tell anyone, but this guy has been becoming bolder and bolder in approaching him. Naruto was afraid of something like this happening all along. That's why he didn't tell anyone. Maybe Kakashi-sensei and Gaara-kun found out and that's why… they're like this."

Sasuke released a breath full of pent up frustration and anger, visibly tense. "I know," he eventually sighed, nodding. "I know about the stalker. Initially I thought it was just one of the many people that hate him, someone that only wanted to frighten him, but later… it got pretty obvious that this person is playing with him. That he wants him terrified. Probably some old fuck that gets off on traumatising teenage boys. I didn't think it was _this_ kind of stalker. That it was someone that would go this far. If I had know this sooner, I would have…"

When Sasuke didn't elaborate, Sakura finally got off of the floor to send the other a questioning look. "You would have what?" she asked in a harsh tone. "You would have stayed? You would have cared more about _him_ than your revenge? You would have thought twice about hurting him– _us _like tha–"

"This isn't the time for this," Sasuke cut in, taking his phone out of his pocket and dialling a number he could recall briefly seeing once. Without even letting Sakura object, he hit the call button and raised his phone to his ear. While he waited, he tapped the device impatiently, burying his free hand in his pocket and just so refraining from tapping his foot as well.

_"The fuck–"_

"Kakashi and Gaara were attacked and Naruto is missing. Find out where he is."

_"Am I your fucking secretary? Goddammit… It's too early for this shit."_

"It's three in the evening. Find him and then call me back. Be quick." Sasuke hung up, again, before the other could object. The Uchiha knew well that Sakura was probably glancing at him with a mix of anger, annoyance and curiosity. "Don't ask."

"Kyuubi?"

Sasuke glared her way, before releasing an agitated sigh. He wouldn't even grace that with an answer. "Let's go." He began walking out of the room, hearing Sakura follow after him.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet," Sasuke replied honestly, flipping his phone over and over in his pocket. "We'll know within the next ten minutes though, so it's best we leave now."

Sakura didn't respond and simply went ahead so Sasuke didn't have to pretend that he could see where he was going. "I'm never going to hand Naruto over to you if you don't work on your personality," she suddenly warned in a clipped tone.

A smirk slowly broadened on Sasuke's features, pushing away the stoic expression on his face. "What exactly?"

"Hmm…" Humming thoughtfully, Sakura took her sweet time answering. "_Everything_."

Sasuke merely responded with a small, amused "Hn".

They walked in silence for a moment, Sasuke relishing in the lack of sound and leaving Sakura to her own thoughts. He contemplated what he would do once he found Naruto, what he_ could_ do in his current state. He couldn't barge in, rampage through enemies and successfully save the damsel in distress. Not easily at least. Technically, he was close to being legally blind. When examining him, Tsunade had told him that with his vision he shouldn't be going around by himself at all, but now that his eyes had recovered slightly, he didn't count as blind anymore, did he?

"What's it like to suddenly lose your vision?"

Sakura's sudden question stunned Sasuke, mostly since it matched with what he had been mulling over in his mind just now. He silently followed Sakura's lead for a while, beginning to see the bright light streaming in from the windows at the building's front entrance. "You want an honest answer," he dead-panned with a slightly accusatory tone.

"Of course," Sakura chuckled, her small laugh sounding strained. "You're not the type to show it, but I know that you're scared. Talking about it might help."

_I don't need your help_. That's what Sasuke wanted to say. He wanted to snarl the words at her, spit them in her face. But the words died in his throat, long before even coming close to being uttered. He knew those words would be a lie. And Sakura would know too. "It's scary," he finally admitted, sliding his hands into his pockets as he followed Sakura through the front entrance. He heard the heavy door slam shut behind him, the weathered wooden frame moaning slightly, the lock clicking with a metallic clink. "You start thinking about all the simple things you will be missing out on. Reading, writing, being able to see the world, being independent. Those are all things that will be either very difficult or impossible in the future. And I'm not sure if I want to live like that." Sasuke simply knew that when Sakura shifted her head towards him slightly, she was wearing that teary-eyed expression of concern. "Being dependent on others just to live… That's something I couldn't live with."

Sakura halted all of a sudden, turning around to fully face the brunet. "What are you going to do?"

Even though he couldn't clearly make out her expression, Sasuke stared at the girl as though reading her every thought and emotion. As though he wasn't nearly blind and she wasn't just a dimmed mess of blurred colours in front of him. "I don't know."

The pink-haired girl heaved a heavy, dragged out sigh, crossing her arms and slowly turning back around and continuing to lead the way. Obviously, that wasn't the answer she had wanted to hear.

Before Sasuke got the chance to follow the girl, his phone buzzed in his pocket and the brunet halted. Upon taking the call, he wasn't even greeted by the caller.

_"The runt's in deep shit,"_ the rumbling voice hissed, sounding slightly demonic through the distorting speakers. _"I can't find him anywhere, not even a trace of him. Whoever is behind this knew I would be searching for him and took precautions."_

"Then it's someone you know?" Sasuke returned coldly, not particularly happy about the revelation.

_"That's not what I'm saying," _Kyuubi grumbled in an annoyed way. _"But this person knows _me_. A lot of people know me, you know. It's some bitch that thinks he can trick me." _

The following words were too muffled to be distinguishable, but Sasuke could make out some murmured insults that made even him raise his brows. "So you _can_ find him?"

_"Of course, you emo little cunt! What do you even take me for?"_

Eyebrows rising, Sasuke released a small huff, a lop-sided snarl smeared across his face. "What? Emo little–"

_"Get in the car, loser! We're going pervert hunting."_

Clenching his teeth and swallowing down the burning hot lump of anger in his throat, Sasuke evened out his strained voice as much as he could. "What car?" he growled.

_"The one right in front of your face, you blind turd."_

Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke could still make out Sakura's vague form in front of him, but anything farther away from that was just one big blur. He noticed Sakura stepping closer to him and pulling at his sleeve slightly. He ended the call, still fuming, and walked forward, keeping his focus on Sakura. The sound of cars rushing by, honking and tires screeching grew louder by the second and soon enough he could make out the cars creating the sound. He noticed one in particular that stood parked on the sidewalk. Right in front of his face.

_No way parking that way is legal_, Sasuke snorted to himself, ignoring his suddenly painfully dry throat. He didn't have to see clearly to know that the way Kyuubi was parking could only be described as either evil or retarded. There was no in between. It honestly looked as though Kyuubi had made an _effort_ to block the sideway as much as possible.

The car's rear door swung open and after hesitating a moment, Sakura got into the backseat. Releasing a silent sigh, Sasuke followed her and shut the door behind him. Without even seeing it, he could _feel_ how tense Sakura was next to him. Figured. She must have had a few encounters with Kyuubi before, being Naruto's best friend and all.

Kyuubi suddenly turned around in his seat, probably sending them either a smirk or a scowl, judging by his character. All Sasuke knew for sure at this point was that he didn't like the redhead.

"We're gonna visit a few places," Kyuubi announced without further explanation. He returned to his steering wheel and started up the car.

All Sakura and Sasuke could do now was let the redhead drive wherever he needed to go. They wouldn't find Naruto without his help. Knowing this, they both gulped down any questions and doubts they wanted to voice and remained in the backseat silently. After only a few minutes of driving though, they regretted ever entering the car.

This regret came with the realisation that Kyuubi was a lunatic driver. He ignored traffic lights, speed limits and any form of traffic etiquette as he sped down heavily packed streets, navigated past other cars, only just so avoiding collisions and crashes, and used sidewalks as _shortcuts_, as he would call them.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Sakura forced out weakly next to Sasuke, hunching over slightly. Her hands were tightly clutched around parts of the car's furniture.

"Don't even," was all that Kyuubi returned, albeit in the most threatening way two words could probably be uttered.

Sakura suddenly sat up straight in her seat, grumbling a quiet response.

"What was that?"

Huffing to herself, Sakura crossed her arms. "Where are we driving?" she questioned hesitantly.

Kyuubi didn't answer. It seemed as though he hadn't even heard the question. Staring at the vermillion blur of colour in the front seat, Sasuke kept his eyes trained on the enigmatic man.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Sasuke's mind that made him sit straighter in his seat, the temperature in the car suddenly seeming to drop to a painful cold. "Where are we going?" he questioned, barely hiding the urgency in his voice. "Why aren't you telling us where you're driving?"

Again, no answer.

Clenching his teeth in frustration, Sasuke dug his fingers in the car's upholstery. The leather creaked between his tense fingers. "What are you trying to do?"

He was wrong to assume that Kyuubi was trustworthy.

So wrong.

"Where are you driving us!" Sasuke roared, slamming a hand against the headrest of the driver's seat. He could vaguely see Kyuubi turn his head towards him.

And suddenly crimson pierced through him. Through the blur of colours and fuzzy darkness, blood-red eyes stared at him, visible clear as day.

"Don't misunderstand." Kyuubi's voice cut through the thick air like blades through murky water. "If I wasn't on withdrawal and being my usual sanguinolent self, you guys wouldn't be talking shit anymore at this point. No less yelling into my ears like beef-witted little mongrel bitches. My self control right now is pretty impressive, so don't egg me on."

Narrowing his eyes at the redhead, Sasuke pondered whether that just now was reason to feel more suspicious or more safe. Concerning Naruto, Kyuubi was a suspect too after all. Kyuubi was their biggest hope at this point, but later could turn out to be their demise.

"Wait here," Kyuubi ordered, suddenly stopping and then leaving the car, throwing the driver's door shut with a bit more force than was necessary. He strolled towards a shabby-looking house with a front door that seemed highly out of place, its colour and surface looking simply off. As though only recently it had been carelessly replaced.

"What's going on?" Sasuke couldn't tell what was happening at that front door, only able to see the bright colour of Kyuubi's hair and the front door opening.

"He's talking to someone," Sakura murmured, leaning towards Sasuke's window. "I can't see who the person is. Those trees are in the way." She went silent for a moment, eventually releasing a small sigh. "You think he parked the car like this on purpose? So we can't see who he's talking to?"

"I wouldn't put it past him." Arms crossed, gaze focused on nothing in particular, Sasuke wondered if it was really such a good idea to stay in the car. On one hand, absolutely everything in his body resisted the thought of trusting the redhead, but on the other hand, there really was no other way to find Naruto. They had no leads on who was the stalker, when or where exactly Naruto had been taken or even if Naruto had really been kidnapped. Anything could have happened. They couldn't be one hundred percent sure that the moron hadn't been hit by a car or hadn't fallen into a ditch. "Sakura." Sasuke waited for the girl to part from the sight of the barely visible Kyuubi and his companion outside, before focusing his gaze on her face. "Call the hospital and ask if Naruto has been brought there. If something happened to him after leaving Kakashi's apartment, he should be there by now."

Sasuke couldn't see it clearly, but he was almost certain of the mix of doubt and concern on the girl's face.

"Do you really think…" Sakura trailed off with an almost inaudible sigh, shutting her mouth and silently pulling out her phone.

Listening to the dial tone as Sakura waited for someone to pick up, Sasuke slightly clenched his fists. Somewhere deep down he knew that Naruto wouldn't be in the hospital. Still, he hoped that perhaps the moron had been involved in some car accident or tripped and broken his face or something. That would be far better than anything Sasuke was imagining at the moment. Far better than all the horrid scenarios playing out in his mind.

If only he could at least put a face to the bastard causing all this turmoil in his heart and mind.

"Hi, Otoha-chan!" Sakura suddenly piped up in a convincing cheery tone. "I just wanted to ask if my friend Naruto was brought in recently. You know him; he's the little brat that peeped on you with that really old guy when you were in the bath house a few years ago." She paused, listening to the woman on the other side. Soon enough, an exasperated smile appeared on her face. "Yeah, him." There was a small pause and the faint sound of typing, then a curt answer. "Are you sure?" Sakura's smile became strained, slowly vanishing. "No, it's just… nothing, really. Don't worry about it. Let me know if he shows up." A dry smile curled the girl's lips. "Yeah, thanks. Bye." When she hung up, she released a quite loud sigh. "He's not there."

Before Sasuke could even reply or take the time to deal with the sudden sinking feeling taking over his chest, Kyuubi returned. The stony-faced redhead threw himself into his seat, wordlessly starting the car and driving away from that shabby-looking house. He seemed more stressed than before.

They drove around Konoha for a long time after that, stopping at houses, Kyuubi leaving to speak with the people inside. Sakura and Sasuke were never able to see who he was talking to. Minutes passed, hours passed and soon, Konoha's sky suddenly seemed to be going up in flames. Bright orange and red hues took over the afternoon sky, dying everything in colours that made Konoha seem as though it was on fire.

Kyuubi was standing at yet another door and talking to another person the two teens in the car couldn't make out.

"It's been four hours," Sakura grumbled, staring at her slender wristwatch. "For how long is he gonna drive us around Konoha?"

Sasuke's already little trust in the redhead was dwindling fast. What if he was stalling? What if the stalker was someone he knew? What if they were accomplices?

Shaking his head, Sasuke immediately banished the thought from his mind. It wouldn't make sense that way. Kyuubi would have gotten rid of them instead of driving them around Konoha for four hours. Kyuubi also had no reason to have Naruto kidnapped since the blond sought him out by himself anyway.

But what did Sasuke know about Kyuubi? Sasuke couldn't tell at all what the man was thinking. He couldn't even tell how old the man was. He could easily be in his early twenties or his late thirties. And it was not because of his eyesight that Sasuke couldn't decide. All he could tell for certain was that there was something odd about the redhead.

If Sasuke could see properly, he would be checking his wristwatch over and over, watching the seconds tick by, trying to not think about what was happening to Naruto at the moment. Was it really better to trust Kyuubi rather than search by themselves? Granted, Sasuke was legally blind and Sakura only had a very limited knowledge of the situation. Not to mention they both had no idea where to even begin searching.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Sasuke suddenly pushed the passenger's door open, careful not to make a sound.

"What are you–"

"Shh." Sasuke turned around to the bewildered girl, keeping his head low as he stepped out of the car. "I'll listen in on what they're talking about." He left before Sakura had the time to protest. Using trees and cars as cover, he quietly stalked towards the house Kyuubi was at. His heart began to pound as he dashed towards a cherry red car parked in front of the house, far away enough for Kyuubi not to notice anything but close enough to hear the words exchanged. Sasuke released a silent sigh of relief, before settling into a more comfortable position.

"So you didn't actually see him around?" Kyuubi asked the man in front of him.

When Sasuke took a quick peak, he couldn't make out the other person's features. All he saw was an obviously male figure shaking its head. The man stood in the shadow of his house, the disappearing afternoon sun not helping in making him more visible. All Sasuke could make out was how tall and buff the man was.

Kyuubi loudly released a puff of breath, slipping his hands into the deep pockets of his long black coat. "So far I can't tell for sure if it's him or someone else. We have a pact with the blue-blooded bastards, so it's not any of them either. Not that they would benefit from it, few as they are. He's really the only guy that comes to mind and all that's known about his current whereabouts are rumours."

"You can't track down that other guy either?" an unsettlingly deep and rumbly, yet smooth voice questioned. "He's usually not as careful about hiding his whereabouts. He thinks no one will be able to find him as long as he returns to their bases."

"If only we could find one of those bases," Kyuubi grumbled. "We know of some inactive ones that are completely cleaned out." He suddenly paused for a moment, going oddly silent. For a moment, he seemed to turn his head towards the street where Sasuke was hiding, but returned his attention to the person in front of him soon enough. "How the fuck do we have no one slipped in his system? If we had someone with real intel this wouldn't be such a problem. I've been driving around for hours trying to find someone that actually knows shit. Since when is this fucking lunatic so hard to find? When he's around he usually leaves a pretty obvious trail of people disappearing around him."

"The last time someone actually saw him in the flesh was over in Kusa when someone busted out all the people he was keeping in his creepy little prison cells. That was eight months ago, I think."

"He could be anywhere by now."

Sasuke had heard enough. Careful not to make any sound, he rushed back to Kyuubi's car, the sounds of leaves crunching beneath his shoes making him jump a little. Once he stood next to the sleek car, he signalled Sakura to come out. She did so with a look of clear doubt.

"What are you doing?" she hushed with concern lacing her voice.

"We're leaving," Sasuke dead-panned, marching into the opposite direction of where Kyuubi was standing. He heard Sakura sputter behind him, struggling for words but eventually following him.

"Where are we going?" she asked the second she caught up to the brunet. "Do you know where Naruto is?"

"I have an idea where he could be." Clenching his fists, Sasuke turned into an alleyway and briefly came to a halt. "We need to go to this old office building. It's been unoccupied for decades and if the stalker is the guy I'm suspecting, this is the only place he could be. All his other bases in Konoha were found the past few years, so he must have emptied them all out. All except for this one."

"How… do you know it's him?" Sakura mumbled in a steady, yet slightly threatening tone. "What if he's the wrong guy and we end up wasting time that we need to find Naruto? What if while we're going to this old factory, Kyuubi finds him instead?"

"Kyuubi doesn't know where he is," Sasuke immediately countered, walking further into the alley. "Right now, we're the ones most likely to find Naruto. If we stick with Kyuubi, he'll just keep driving around trying to find the information he needs."

"Then why don't we just tell Kyuubi? He's not all that trustworthy, but I'm pretty certain he doesn't intend to hurt Naruto. And he has a car, so going with him would be much faster."

"I can't trust him."

"But–"

"That guy's not human," Sasuke murmured, voice lowered, posture suddenly unusually repressed. "Something's off about him. It's impossible for me to be at ease around him; I can't tell what he thinks or what his intentions are. I can't trust people like that." Sasuke immediately cut Sakura off before the girl could utter another retort. "I've been with people like that before and what I learned from those experiences was that being with people like that for longer periods of time always ends up badly in the end. It's better to avoid him, trust me."

Sakura remained silent behind the teen for a while, only the sound of her steps echoing through the narrow alley reaching his ears. She was probably thinking of some way to keep arguing against Sasuke's decision. At the moment, she was only following since Sasuke's claims seemed fairly sound.

A gust of wind suddenly howled past them, whistling as it threw up a few shreds of paper from the floor, twirling them around in idle circles.

"Fine," Sakura eventually said, catching up with Sasuke to give him a sideways glare. "Be happy I'm trusting you so willingly after everything you put us through. Others would have left ages ago."

"I know," the Uchiha smirked, meeting the girl's eyes. "Thank you." He almost snickered at the embarrassed blush instantly blooming on Sakura's face. Usually, he wouldn't have held back. But this wasn't a situation where he could snicker.

It was getting dark.

_We need to hurry_.

* * *

><p>"Do you see a blocky building with three chimneys anywhere?"<p>

Sakura slowed her pace slightly, looking around and sighing quietly. "Only one with one chimney."

"What does it look like?"

"Hm…" The girl went silent for a moment, walking from left to right, eyeing the building closely. "It's a rectangle building with a flat roof and a lot of windows of the same size. Seems to be from the late 1800s."

"That can't be it," Sasuke interjected. "The factory we're searching for is newer. It's not older than a hundred years."

"Anything else?" Sakura insisted. "If it's from the 1900s, there's no specific style I can look for."

"Look for a building with faded red paint," Sasuke said, pacing around impatiently and eyeing his surroundings even though he probably couldn't see much. "It's old, so the paint looks pretty shoddy. But the red should still be visible. It used to be pretty bright and obnoxious."

Sakura watched the other teen walk around for a moment. "Sure." She eyed the surroundings buildings another time, still unable to make out a building fitting the description. "I don't see anything. Are you sure the building wasn't taken down?"

"It _has_ to be here. It's the only base left in Konoha. He wouldn't be so careless to let his last base be destroyed."

"And you're sure it's around here?" Sakura couldn't help but worry. Sasuke was technically blind, so them coming to this place could have been a mistake on his part, a miscalculation. After all, they hadn't used any maps to get here. Sasuke had insisted that using any wouldn't get them anywhere. Maybe it had been naive to think that Sasuke would find his way even while unable to use his eyes.

Sasuke suddenly stalked away, kicking up a small cloud of dust. Sakura pondered whether to follow or stay. What if Sasuke was deluding himself into something? She couldn't tell if he was in his right mind at the moment. All of a sudden, she didn't feel so sure about Sasuke anymore.

"It's over there," Sasuke suddenly said in a harsh tone, pointing at something in between two building.

To Sakura's shock, Sasuke was already staring straight at her when she spotted him. From that distance, he shouldn't have been able to see her clearly enough to lock gazes with her like this. From that distance, she should have been nothing but a blur among blurs. Too indistinguishable for him to focus on something as hard to spot as her eyes.

The second Sasuke took his eyes off of the girl, he turned and headed into the direction he had pointed out.

Sakura stood rooted in place for a moment, only able to clench her teeth and release a nervous breath. She had a bad feeling about this. They should have stayed with Kyuubi after all. What were they even going to do once they found Naruto? Whoever this stalker was wouldn't have problems dealing with one girl and a legally blind boy. Granted, Sakura could defend herself well enough against people twice her size, but defending herself _and_ two other people was an entirely different thing. "Sa–"

"Are you coming?" Sasuke suddenly called back, about to enter that area between the two buildings.

"I…" Hesitating, Sakura eventually released a heavy sigh, beginning to slowly walk towards the other. As she closed the distance between them, doubts and fears assaulted her instantly. What if Naruto wasn't here? What if Kyuubi couldn't find him either? What if he was injured and no one would find him in time? Wouldn't it be beyond cruel if they lost Naruto now that Sasuke was back to normal?

"You didn't used to do that," Sasuke suddenly noted calmly.

Surprised by the statement, Sakura eyed the other, unsure about what he meant.

"You hold your arm whenever you're nervous," the brunet elaborated upon seeing her questioning look. "You didn't used to do that."

"Oh, that…" She had been holding her arm unconsciously and once she realised that, she dropped her arm to her side. "I think I started doing it when Naruto was acting weirdly. He keeps calling me out on it now. Usually, he was too dense to notice when I was concerned, but now he realises each time."

Sasuke stared at the girl for a moment, seeming to examine her closely, but eventually faced forward again.

"Can you see better now?"

"A little," the Uchiha replied curtly, burying his hands in his pockets. "I can make out shapes more easily now, so I'm not likely to bump into things any longer. But I guess it's gonna be worse than it was before later on. I'm gonna go completely blind sooner than Tsunade predicted, but I'm willing to accept that."

Sakura wasn't even going to argue with Sasuke about that, since she knew it wouldn't have any use even if she tried. Although she couldn't help but worry, she also wanted to save Naruto. Sasuke knew what he was doing and wouldn't back down at this point. Trying to stop him now would be nothing short of an insult.

"That's it," Sasuke eventually murmured quietly. They now stood in front of a dilapidated building covered in faded red paint that was peeling off in some places. "You stay here and hide in one of the buildings in a place where you can see the entrance of the car factory. If I don't return in an hour, call Kyuubi. Don't call the police until he gets here."

"But–"

"Police would only alarm the guy. He would probably find some way to escape them. Kyuubi would be more likely to get in without him noticing."

_That's not what I'm worried about_. Gulping, Sakura tried to swallow down the burning lump in her throat. "I thought you didn't trust Kyuubi."

"I still don't, but if worst comes to worst, he's our best bet."

The plan seemed sound, even though so much could go wrong. So many things were unclear. They didn't know if this was the right place, they didn't know who they would find, they didn't know anything at all. The plan was sound, but only since it was the best possible strategy at the moment. If the conditions were different, Sakura would have objected to such a dangerous plan, but there really was no way of dealing with this without taking a risk. "You have exactly an hour. If you don't come back before 3600 seconds are over, I'm calling Kyuubi. If he takes longer than fifteen minutes to get here, I'm calling the police. Got it?"

The hint of a smile appeared on Sasuke's face. "Got it." He nodded and before Sakura could find the time to doubt anything, he snatched her phone and typed something in, before taking off.

Sakura could only watch as Sasuke left. It left a bitter taste in her mouth and a dry feeling in her throat. She knew this strategy was based around Sasuke's pride. They would have better chances going in together, but she also understood that someone had to stay back in order to be able to act in case anything happened. It lowered their chances of succeeding, but it was overall more effective. She had to hand it to Sasuke to come up with a plan that prioritised effectiveness over success rate, just to have a reason to be selfish and act based on his pride.

She would have to give him an earful later.

Not only for this stupid plan, but also for leaving her behind trembling and afraid in between these abandoned hunks of stone and cement. For leaving her when she couldn't shake off this bad feeling. This fear that something was going to go horribly wrong.

* * *

><p>Let's all just pretend that lungs can last for longer than six hours outside of the body, okay? This is fanfiction and sometimes shit doesn't make sense so don't come telling me stuff like <em>But donated hearts and lungs can't last for longer than six hours outside of the body<em>. SHUT UP I KNOW THAT.

You can also blame VIXX coming to Berlin (holy shit I touched them and we made them cry with our fan chants and our birthday song for Ravi and our banners and asdfghjkjhgjk) and the various games that came out the past few months for this chapter taking so long to finish. Goddamn Pokemon… At least I'm done with most of the stuff that kept me so busy.

And I'm not going to make any promises about when I'll upload the next chapter. Writing honestly has dropped a lot on my list of priorities. I need to enrol into a school to study game design soon, so I'm drawing a lot nowadays. More than I'm writing. It could take over a month again or longer till the next chapter is out and it could stay like that till this story ends (which is pretty soon). So be prepared for that.

Next chapter: ?

– Murasaki B


	39. Cold Light

It's been two months or something, I think. I blame writer's block. And Persona 4. P4 took my life and didn't let me enjoy anything else. But it was mostly writer's block.

Just a quick warning: this chapter has some vague implications I most likely won't explain in detail later on. If you don't understand them… well dunno, deal with it.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXIX<br>– Cold Light –

Flee or hide?

Sneak around or run with all his might?

Cause confusion or simply go ahead without halting?

No matter how many times Naruto asked himself these questions, he couldn't decide what course to take. In his current state, he couldn't run very fast, so he was moving forward at a crawling pace, barely avoiding making noise. He was pondering if it was better to just run and get out as fast as possible. Once he was outside, there were bound to be people around that could help him, right? But would they? Given his reputation, they might turn a blind eye on an injured teen asking for help and walk away. If he ran, he would only make noise and if he was found…

There was no way he would be able to escape unnoticed a second time. Not in the state he was in.

"I'm in deep shit," the blond dryly chuckled to himself, supporting himself against a wall as he dragged himself across the dusty floor. He could feel blood run down the insides of his sweaty thighs and his arms, little drops slowly trailing down his skin. There was a wetness on his temple as well, but whether it was blood or sweat running down his face he couldn't tell. The pain was unbearable and another reason he could not run. Every step he took let tears shoot into his eyes, pained moans remaining muffled in his throat. When was the last time he had been in this much pain?

Only a few steps ahead, Naruto could finally see a door. It was the first one he was encountering after going down this seemingly endless corridor. He had first run up two flights of stairs and ignored any doors close by, eventually succumbing to the pain and walking at a painfully slow pace instead. He had ignored all rooms on the lower floors since he would be found much too quickly in any of those. Would it be safe to hide in the room ahead? It should be.

There was a faint sound on the floor above him, but if it was actual steps or just the old building creaking Naruto didn't want to know. Nevertheless, he tried to quicken his pace, although moving faster caused a stabbing pain to explode all over his body. It seemed to travel across every single nerve ending in his body, feeling as though being sent into every last cell.

Crimson sunlight shone through smudged glass windows, the sun slowly fading away and about to leave the blond in darkness. Once the sunlight was gone, there would be nothing to help him find his way around the otherwise pitch-dark building. There was no electricity and using candles – if he found any – would only rouse attention. Naruto had to find some place to hide long enough until morning came around and he could find a way out without hissing in pain at each step.

The sun would rise again in ten hours. That's how long he would have to last. He could only hope most of the pain would fade away in that time.

A shuffling sound right behind Naruto made the blond stop dead in his tracks, his heart instantly jumping into his throat and his entire body going frigid. He gulped, waiting for something to happen. Uncomfortable shivers ran down his back, the back of his neck suddenly burning while the rest of his body still seemed frozen. Slowly, as to not agitate whatever was behind him, he turned around.

Upon twisting his head around, his eyes met nothing. Only a semi-dark hallway. An empty hallway. A hallway in an old building that would occasionally make noises on its own.

At least that's what he hoped.

* * *

><p>Eye burning with rage, nervous hands itching to strike at something, <em>anything<em>, the man stormed down staircases, busted through doors and noisily rushed through dark, abandoned hallways.

_Little shit thinks he can run away from me._

A mad gleam to his steely eyes, he suddenly grew still. He stopped in his tracks, forcing his body to relax, letting his erratic, hissing breathing relax. Panting, he stood in yet another empty hallway. He let burning eyes trail over every single door, slowly beginning to walk again. Shards of glass crackled beneath his heavy boots, scraping against the dusty floor. The clammy walls gave off a musty smell.

"Maybe I should just wait," he mumbled to himself, slowly strolling towards another staircase. "He'll have to pop out eventually." Twirling around the metal baton in his hand, he slipped his other hand into his pocket and began to grin. "Maybe I should pay some of his friends a visit!" he called out, his voice probably carrying throughout at least three stories of the building. "I bet they would be happy to see me."

Chuckling, his laughter echoing through the hallway, the man unhurriedly sauntered down the next staircase, all the way letting his baton collide with the rusty railings.

"Might as well have some fun till they show up."

* * *

><p>Taking a deep breath, Sasuke stared at his own hand wrapped around the door's handle. Once he opened this metal door, anything could happen. Someone could be standing guard behind this door and attack him the second he set foot inside this building. He could end up wandering around the building without finding anyone. He could walk around aimlessly, only to find a corpse and come to the conclusion that he would have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. Everything could go wrong.<p>

Gulping, he pushed down the once cold handle that had become warm in his hand by now. As quietly as possible, he slowly opened the door inch by inch, cautious to not let it make any sound. Uneasiness etched into every part of his body, he stepped into the dark room inside, seeing nothing but a small lobby of sorts. A few decades earlier, it might have been fancy and luxurious, but now the upturned wooden tables and dusty leather couches were decayed and gave off a musty smell. Sasuke walked over cracked white tiles and past a large reception desk with a chipped and weathered wooden desktop. He gave the rusty elevator a once over, before opting for the gloomy stairs to his right.

Listening for any suspicious sounds, he slowly ascended the staircase step for step. With the sun going down, there wasn't much light and he could barely see the top of the stairs. If he didn't find Naruto within the next hour, he would be dipped in pitch darkness. There would be no light to guide him and he would have to _feel_ his way around. His already impaired sight would be deemed completely useless. He would stand no chance against the lack of light.

A voice suddenly echoing from above made Sasuke freeze in place. He couldn't understand the exact words, but he could clearly hear approaching steps.

Someone was coming down the stairs.

The lobby offered no place to hide. Sasuke would be found immediately. To get outside he would have to dash towards the front entrance and go outside. But would he get another chance to get inside? He couldn't waste time waiting for the man to go upstairs again. Leaving was too risky. As was continuing and risking not finding a good enough hiding place in time.

But that was a risk he would have to take.

As quickly as he could without making any noise, Sasuke ascended the stairs. Once he reached the next floor, he quickly scouted the area, finding rows of doors and nothing else. His heart jumped into his throat, the sound of approaching steps growing louder.

Should he try attacking the person coming his way? His chances of winning were slim. With his current eyesight he would be barely able to even make out the guy, much less precisely attack him in the right moment. He would more than likely get himself knocked down instantly. Or worse.

_I hope these doors aren't locked_, Sasuke pleaded in his mind, ducking as he quickly approached one of the doors and tried to turn its knob. It gave off a rattling noise, but didn't open. _Shit!_ Slowly beginning to panic, Sasuke tried the next door. Also locked. He rushed to the next door and tried its knob. Locked. _Come on!_ The next door he tried finally clicked, swinging open in the exact moment the brunet saw a moving beam of light from the other side of the hallway.

_Someone's coming_.

Quickly disappearing inside the room, Sasuke quietly shut the door behind him. Inside, he let his eyes trail over the old desks and broken chairs. There was no place to hide. If the guy came in here, Sasuke would be found immediately. But he couldn't go outside anymore. Whoever was out there was already in the hallway in front of the door. He could hear him coming.

Sasuke suddenly grew angry at himself. Angry for disregarding his own health in favour of chasing some old fart. Angry at himself for being too stubborn not to do the right thing sooner. Angry at himself for not listening to Naruto. For never listening to him. If only he had listened, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe him and Naruto would be sitting somewhere doing homework together instead of fearing for their lives. Instead of being so far apart from each other.

_I'm such an idiot_.

* * *

><p>"<em>Batshit crazy<em> he says. I'm crazy? I'm a liar? A pathetic excuse for a human? Ridiculous." The man shambled up the next staircase, certain he had heard a quiet whimper. "When did he get so cocky?" A grin spread on his features. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'll beat that out of him soon enough."

Approaching a door, the man turned the knob and all but kicked the door open. "Does he really think he can escape from me? Does he really think he can live without me?" Knocking down a chair, he trailed his eyes all over the room, finding it empty. "He needs to stay with me. As if he's gonna survive for long without me." He left the room, hearing a muffled sound from the staircase going up.

Was that shuffling he had heard?

He suddenly stopped, a contemplative look in his eyes. "I wonder when it started…" The man continued climbing the stairs, leisurely taking each step. "Was it when I first saw him? But I guess it doesn't matter. I'll just have to make him come to me." A dry smirk spread on his features as his pace slowed once again. "Come to think of it, this all started because of him." The smirk disappeared. "I'm not me anymore." His grip around the weapon in his hand tightened. "It's all your fault."

* * *

><p>Ear pressed against the door, Sasuke listened as the man outside opened the door next to him. There was silence for a moment, before he could hear the man going inside the room and mumbling to himself.<p>

_Now!_

Sasuke quietly turned the knob, inched the door open and slipped outside. He peaked into the open the door next to him. Once he saw a back turned towards him, he dashed. Only barely avoiding making noise, he reached the staircase going up and ran, taking two steps at a time. He accidentally stepped on some sort of loose part in a wooden step and caused a loud creaking noise. _Fuck_. Adrenaline violently pumping through his body, he reached the next floor, hearing the man below him quickly come his way. _This floor is extremely dark._ There were no windows. Would Naruto hide in a place like this?

Someone was coming up.

Unable to decide in time, Sasuke relied on his gut feeling and rushed up the staircase leading to the next floor. In his haste, Sasuke almost walked into an open door once he reached the top. The room to his right had its door wide open. Curious as to why he could see light coming from inside, he cautiously peaked inside.

He found a tall cordless lamp powered by batteries inside. Its light was weak and cold, but strong enough to illuminate parts of the room. At first Sasuke couldn't find any significance to the room, but then his eyes caught sight of a few specks of red on the ground. Blood. It was splashed on some sort of large rug. There were blankets and mattresses. Water bottles, canned food and bags of snacks lay scattered about. Someone was living here.

Hearing the man downstairs yell something unintelligible, Sasuke was forced to interrupt his investigation and keep going.

If he assumed that Naruto had been in that room together with his captor, then that must mean he must have escaped from there and the man downstairs was searching for him. Since the guy was looking for him downstairs, that meant Naruto wasn't on either this floor or any of the ones below. His captor had probably started his search on the floors below in case Naruto would try to head for the front doors. Knowing all this, Sasuke had to assume Naruto was upstairs. If he was here at all. The guy downstairs could be some homeless guy babbling nonsense to himself. Sasuke could be in the completely wrong building.

Nonetheless, the brunet quickly wandered up the next flight of stairs. The next floor was much brighter. Sunshine could stream in through large windows, lighting up the hallway.

Suddenly, he could hear someone noisily march up the stairs behind him. _Again?_ Clenching his jaw in both frustration and anxiety, Sasuke chose a random door and luckily found it unlocked.

_For how long is this going to go on?_

* * *

><p>"Good kids should just listen to adults, for fuck's sake. Is it so hard to understand?"<p>

He was definitely starting to feel annoyed rather than amused. This ridiculous hunt had been going on for too long. Granted, he had to hand it to his little blond for holding out so long, but this was getting quickly becoming a frustrating situation. It wasn't like the brat could escape, so why struggle?

"If I tell him to obey and not make a fuss, he should just obey. If I tell him to do as I say, he should just listen. Why struggle if in the end he's just gonna get punished anyway? Stupid brat."

A thought crossed the man's mind, a thought so ridiculous he couldn't help but laugh out loud, hearing his own voice bounce off of the bare walls to his sides.

"No way; does he seriously plan to escape? From me? In that state? Moron. Does he really think I'll let him get away? Does he really think he has the guts? As if I'm going to let him."

The smirk on the man's face narrowed slightly, gaining a predatory edge.

"Over my dead body."

* * *

><p>Sasuke shivered slightly at the feeling of the cold metal door against his back. The cold seemed to seep through his coat, engulfing him in an icy embrace. When he didn't hear anyone approaching, he released a silent breath of relief and finally allowed his body to relax. He flinched a little when he let his head drop back against the door and caused a small thud. Literally every single sound he made now could be fatal. Even the tiniest of movements could accidentally give away his location. Being this helpless and powerless, unable to see clearly and being at such a disadvantage… Sasuke never would have thought he could ever end up like this.<p>

A small sound coming from a corner next to him had Sasuke's entire body flinch and tense up. His heart beat instantly picked up and his breath got stuck in his throat. He couldn't see anything clearly. Only the desks and chairs scattered around the room were illuminated enough by a few stray sun rays for him to be able to make them out. Everything else was veiled in a cloudy darkness.

Slowly, cautiously, Sasuke slid down the door he was leaning against until he was sitting. Waiting for another sound, he suddenly doubted if he had actually heard something. With as frayed as his nerves were at this point, it wouldn't be a surprise if he suddenly started hearing things that weren't there.

Then there it was again. The sound of something briefly shifting around on the floor. And shallow breathing.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt as though it was night and he was drowning in the ocean. In murky dark blue water that relentlessly sucked him in, trying to pull him under. But somehow, he didn't mind.

Blue eyes stared back at him from the darkness.

Then he heard a small gasp.

"Sasuke?"

All tension left Sasuke's body all of a sudden and the brunet slumped down on the floor. For a moment, all he did was stare into the darkness and those deep blue eyes. Their colour was muted, but unmistakable. A clear, undiluted blue. As though staring up into a cloudless sky instead of a blurry darkness.

Sasuke didn't notice he was moving until he came to a stop in front of the figure huddled in a corner between file cabinets. Speechless as he knelt in front of the other, he noticed small cuts lining the face in front of him and blood caked on clammy skin. He reached out to wipe it off, but stopped himself midway when he saw those azure eyes widening at him.

The next moment, he was knocked back by a body slamming into him. "Naruto…" he mumbled absent-mindedly, staring down at the mop of bright blond hair on his chest and the arms wrapped around his torso. Hesitantly, he rested his hands on the blond's shoulders, unsure about what to do. Again, his heart was beating rapidly, as though it was going to break trough his ribs and jump out of his chest, but the sense of relief that washed over him at that moment numbed out any other sensation. Soon enough though, pain exploded over his face when Naruto's head suddenly shot up and knocked against his jaw.

"Why are you here?" the blond hissed, eyebrows creasing in slight confusion at the way Sasuke suddenly held his jaw with a scowl. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sasuke hissed back, letting his hand drop from his jaw, realising with slight annoyance that a nice bruise would form there later on. "And why shouldn't I have come?" he eventually asked. "Did you really think I wouldn't figure out what was going on in that tiny brain of yours? After seeing Kakashi and that other guy in the hospital and hearing what happened from Sakura, it was pretty easy to figure out."

"But how did you find this place?"

Sasuke eyed Naruto for a moment, noting the curiosity and trepidation in those bright eyes. "Don't worry about that. Let's get out of here first."

"But you– your… Didn't you… But Danzo–"

Not too kindly knocking his knuckles against the blond's forehead and watching the anger instantly bloom in the other's eyes, Sasuke then watched with a smirk as Naruto began nursing the pain now throbbing on his forehead. "I can change my mind, you know. I don't have a one-track mind like a certain moron."

"Hey…" Naruto mumbled back with no real bite behind it, still rubbing at the sore spot on his forehead.

"I heard the guy come up the stairs a while ago, so he should be on this floor right now." Sasuke glanced back at the door, dreading the moment it could open. "We should wait for him to go away and make a run for it." After a few moments passed with no response from the blond, Sasuke turned his head back around to face Naruto, who merely stared at him with a look of regret. "What?"

"That's not gonna work," the teen murmured, lowering his head. "It doesn't matter where I go. He'll _always_ come for me." Before Sasuke could protest, the blond cut him off. "I'm sick of running, Sasuke. I don't want to do this anymore. It's really fucking annoying to have to always run away in fear. I'm tired of it."

"So what?" Sasuke bit back. "Are you just gonna give up?"

"No, I–"

"I'll distract him then. I'll lure him away and you get the hell out of here. Get the police or something. I'll keep him occupied until they come."

"Sasuke, no, don't–"

"Then what? How do you suppose any of us is going to get out of here?"

"I'll figure something–" Naruto froze as he stared into Sasuke's eyes. Stared and began to understand the quiet fire in the them. "Wait… you…" Suddenly, he _understood_. Suddenly, it made sense. And suddenly, he felt an all encompassing dread fill up his chest. A dread worse than any kind of fear or terror he had felt over the past few weeks. "You plan to _die _here."

Sasuke merely stared back at him, that quiet fire in his eyes remaining unchanged.

"I'm not letting you do that, you know," Naruto growled, an irritated edge to his voice. "Do you really think I'd just let you die for me?"

"Then tell me what's left to live for. For me."

Naruto suddenly felt as though he was being doused in cold water. As though some asshole had dropped a ridiculously huge bucket of cold-ass water all over his head. Especially when a certain memory replayed in his mind. A memory from a time when he had been only an empty husk of a human. Only a remnant of himself.

_"You shouldn't want to die, Naruto."_

_"Give me just one good reason why, Sakura-chan."_

"Think about it for a second, Naruto," Sasuke whispered, voice sounding less venomous. "I tried to _murder_ someone. The last of my family just died, but I was too caught up in my own deluded goals to be there for his last moments. I hurt not only him, but also the only other person that really cares for me. All I've been doing all this time was hurt the only people that actually give a shit about me. And in case you forgot, I'm going _blind_. Isn't that indication enough that I'm not wanted here anymore?"

At a loss for words, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. Which was to harshly pull at Sasuke's ear.

"What the hell was that for, you dumbass?"

Head lowered, Naruto forced himself to not yell. "That's bullshit," he forced out quietly. "_I'll_ become your family, okay. Your eyes too. Just don't… don't leave me."

Sasuke was dead-silent for a long time after that. The only sound coming from him was the sound of his steady breathing, quiet and calming. "Why would you go this far for me?"

"Because…" So many words wanted to bubble out from Naruto's mouth but got stuck in his throat. "Because I'm your friend. And I care about you." He didn't look up for fear of seeing any kind of emotion flicker in Sasuke's eyes. "I really, really, _really_ care about you. A lot. Really… a lot." After a long time of not hearing any type of response and beginning to panic, fearing he had said something wrong, Naruto finally glanced up to meet Sasuke's eyes.

What he found was a sort of shocked but also fond look in Sasuke's eyes. Something he never had even dreamed of seeing in the other's eyes. Something that blew away the panic that had settled in the blond's guts and, for the first time in forever, made him genuinely smile. Something pulled him towards Sasuke in that moment and he didn't make any effort to stop himself from closing the distance between them. Naruto let his forehead rest against Sasuke's, watching as pain, fondness, surprise and fear all pooled together in those dark eyes, making him feel as though he was staring into a wild, dark storm. The blond let his fingers trail over that tiny scar on Sasuke's upper lip, taking a mental note to later ask Sasuke about that one. Maybe in happier times, when both of them could be happy without the other suffering in any way.

When Sasuke suddenly pressed his lips against Naruto's, tilting his head to the side, Naruto almost had half a mind to push him away, afraid of the other's reaction should this kiss become more heated. Sasuke's scent suddenly seeming to completely surround him made thinking impossible though, the feeling of fingers running through his hair and a hand settling on his shoulder making his skin heat up rapidly. This kiss was so much gentler and less frantic than any kisses they had shared so far. They both moved as though they shared a mind, responding to each other as though they were conversing instead of kissing. It both fascinated and scared Naruto. Even with Sasuke's smooth lips against his chapped ones, even with Sasuke's scent mingling with the smell of blood on Naruto's skin, even with Sasuke soiling himself with blood and dirt by touching Naruto anywhere, even with all this, Naruto felt more equal to Sasuke in this moment than he had his entire life.

It mostly turned his brain into useless mush though, especially when Sasuke deepened the kiss and slowly pushed his tongue in between his lips. Naruto almost pulled back when their tongues glided over each other, terrified that Sasuke would taste all the things that had happened. That Sasuke would despise him for it. But to his surprise, Sasuke's hold on him tightened when he tried to pull away, the hand on his shoulder wrapping around his torso and his head being yanked closer.

Sasuke knew what Naruto was thinking. He could almost hear Naruto's thoughts when their kiss deepened and the taste of Naruto's mouth hit his tongue. The taste of blood and something else. Something that initially had made him want to demand an explanation, but noticing the way Naruto had tensed up, he suddenly just _knew_. And soon enough, the taste faded away and Sasuke could almost taste Naruto's warm and sweet breath on his tongue.

He didn't notice when Naruto's warmth was replaced by cold nothingness and those chapped lips left his with a sloppy smack. Only when he heard the eery sound of a door closing and a lock clicking did he snap out of his daze. In an instant he was at the door. "What the fuck are you doing?" he snapped, quietly knocking against the metal door. "What are you doing? Let me out!"

"Just…" Naruto's voice was muffled through the door, small and quiet. "Just stay here, okay. If I don't come back… In case I don't come back, there's a second key somewhere in the room. Make sure you don't leave this room until it's safe, okay? Just… be safe."

"Naruto!" Not caring that his voice probably had alarmed whoever was after them, Sasuke relentlessly slammed his fists against the door, trying to break it open. He threw his body against the door, violently tugged at the handle, kicked at the door, but it didn't budge. "Fucking moron," he hissed under his breath, hearing someone stop in front of his door.

"I'll take care of you later,"someone chuckled, before leaving.

"No!" Sasuke screamed, slamming his fists against the door again. "Come back here, you fuck! Don't you dare go after him! Hey!"

Silence.

"Fuck!" Ruffling his hair in frustration, Sasuke took a moment to calm his breathing and gather his thoughts, eyes frantically jumping all over the dark room. "The key," he mumbled, his body instantly jumping into motion. Hectically, he moved all over the room, ripping open drawers and cabinets in search of that damn key.

If he found it soon enough, maybe he could make it in time. He _had_ to.

* * *

><p><em>I should've done this sooner.<em>

Dryly laughing to himself, Naruto dashed down the hallway, ignoring the sound of Sasuke banging against the door. Ignoring the sound of a pair of feet running after him. Ignoring the pain shooting throughout his entire body.

He knew he wouldn't get far. He already knew that. He wasn't even running, more like stumbling forward whilst trying not to aggravate his injuries too much. But he wanted to at least try.

At least a minute. He had to go on for at least a minute. If he could hold on for another minute…

_Who am I kidding?_

Naruto found himself in a dead end. Only a shut window in front of him and walls to both sides. Only one way back.

_I might as well buy some time._

The steps following him became slower, approaching with a calm and foreboding pace. In this narrow hallway, the sound of feet hitting the floor echoed and bounced from the bare gray walls, making the series of steps sound like a countdown.

They stopped right behind Naruto. The blond could feel the man's breath fan over the back of his neck, causing goosebumps to rise all over his skin. Arms slid over his shoulders, warmth pressing against his back.

"I missed you, you know."

A small, scornful laugh left Naruto's mouth. "I was the happiest I could be without you, _Mizuki_."

"Oh, it's not _dad_ anymore? Cheeky little shit." The man chuckled lowly. "As soon as the drugs are mostly out of your system, you get cocky. You've gotten feisty while I was gone, huh? I think I like it. Makes things more interesting."

Naruto didn't respond to that, deciding to not honour the man with an answer. He knew exactly that Mizuki hated it when he didn't react to the man's taunts. Over the years he had learned about all of the man's quirks and habits, knowing how to evade certain reactions and save himself the most trouble. But all that didn't matter anymore.

"We'll see for how long you can stay stubborn. Come on, _move_."

Knowing exactly what that statement meant, Naruto smiled as he went along with Mizuki, letting the man drag him around. He refused to let Mizuki know how much he was hurting from everything that had happened earlier, so he bit down on his lip to not accidentally let out any pained noises. After walking only a few steps, he bit it so hard he could feel a barely healed cut open up again and blood gushing out and running down his chin. He forced himself to walk steadily without faltering, still feeling blood running from several other wounds all over his body. He was dragged downstairs, through the hallways he had escaped through, until he was shoved back into the room he had run from earlier. The tall lamp was still giving off that cold, dead light, the cans of food still scattered about messily.

"Get on the mattress," Mizuki ordered flatly, giving the blond a dark look.

"No." Instead of avoiding the man's eyes, Naruto held his ground and stared right back. He could already see Mizuki's little bit of patience snapping, could see something light up in the man's eyes.

"_No_?" he echoed with a raised eyebrow, arms crossed.

"I'm not going to listen to a wimp like you." Naruto knew exactly how to push all of Mizuki's buttons. Pushing those buttons was turning out to be more thrilling than he could have ever imagined though.

As expected, Mizuki's calm demeanour crumbled and irritation quickly took over his features. "Wimp? You're calling _me_ a wimp? Weren't _you_ the one running around trying to get away from _me_ cause you were scared shitless, huh? _You're_ the one that's been running away from _me_!"

Smirking, Naruto cocked his head at the white-haired man, almost chuckling at the way his left eye began twitching. "Me? A wimp? I'm not the one that's scared of a fair fight. You know exactly that I would beat you in a straight up fist fight. You know that if you didn't use manipulation and drugs, you wouldn't be able to take me down. You get off on making someone who's much stronger and smarter than you submit to you." At this point, seeing the red colour rising in Mizuki's face, Naruto didn't know if his heart was pounding out of excitement or terror.

"I would shut up if I were you," Mizuki hissed, a vein popping out on his neck.

"Just admit it, you're a pathetic loser who can't function like a normal person, so you adopted a little kid to pick on and feel superior over. Just so you could make yourself feel better. You wanted someone that you could compare yourself to and feel like you're better. But guess what? You're still a pathetic loser. Nothing has changed. You can't keep a decent job, you have no friends and you need medication just so you won't be sent straight to the loony bin."

Mizuki was fuming at this point, stepping closer to the blond, looking just about ready to strangle him. "If you don't shut your mouth, I'll do it for you."

"You're so scared of facing me head-on that you had to sneak up on me from behind and use drugs just to kidnap me. Or maybe someone else did even that _for _you?" Crossing his arms, Naruto smirked at the man cockily. "Do you really think I'm still scared of you? I'm not six anymore. I know exactly how you weak you are."

"It's your fault I'm like this!" Mizuki suddenly screamed, crashing into the blond and slamming him into the floor, ending up hovering over him. "It's all your fault! You were just a kid! Just a shitty orphan! But you were smiling anyway! You were way too happy for someone who's parents were killed by some maniac!"

"Jealousy is an ugly thing, huh?" Naruto mocked, trying his best to look unfazed by the insanity burning in the man's eyes. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't completely rid himself of the fear instilled into him over years. "Pretty pathetic; being jealous of a little kid just cause it has something you don't."

Tightly gripping the blond's shoulders and pushing him into the mattress, Mizuki sneered. "I wanted to crush you! I got angry just _looking_ at you. I wanted to destroy you in every way possible, to the point that you wouldn't be able to stand the thought of living even one day longer!"

"Like you?" Naruto watched intently as something like surprise flashed in the man's eyes, before being devoured by insanity and rage again.

"I _will_ crush you," Mizuki whispered suddenly, leaning down to glare into the blond's challenging eyes. "Don't think you've won. I know you like you know me. Just like you know what buttons to push with me, I know what buttons to push with you. I know all the different ways to make that stupid cockiness of yours disappear in an _instant_."

Naruto couldn't stop himself from gulping, fearing his plan might have backfired. But as long as he could buy enough time for Sasuke to escape, his plan was a success. As long as he could hold Mizuki off long enough for Sasuke to get to safety, it would be fine. Everything would be fine.

A smirk suddenly spread on Mizuki's face. "That Uchiha brat you like so much is here, right?"

Unable to stop his eyes from widening a fraction, Naruto desperately tried to mask his panic.

"Don't try to hide it," the man drawled mockingly. "I know that he's pretty much blind at this point. And it's almost completely dark outside. He's helpless. I should help him find the way out, huh? What do you think?"

Clenching his jaw, Naruto dropped his attempt at trying to hide his rage. "Stop it."

"You wouldn't like that, right? Wouldn't _you _like to keep me here as long as possible, hm?"

Scowling at the man now, Naruto had to stop himself from spitting in Mizuki's face. They knew each other too well. "What the fuck do you want, you sicko?"

"You hurt my feelings, Naru-_chan._ First of all, I would like for you to not use that kind language with me. It's not nice, you know." Smirking triumphantly, Mizuki leaned down even further until their foreheads touched, tightly gripping the blond's jaw with one hand. "Then I want you to give up. Give up everything. Your life _belongs_ to me. Just like it always has and always will."

"As if you're gonna keep that kind of deal," Naruto scoffed, flinching when Mizuki's grip on his jaw tightened painfully. "You have no reason to keep your end of the deal."

"Oh, but I do." Slowly, the man released his grip on the blond's face, instead settling a hand on the side of Naruto's face. "If not going after him will make you give up, that's enough reason for me not to act. Doing something to him would just make things complicated." He ran his thumb over the blond's bloody lower lip. "Neither of us would like that, right?"

Naruto considered his options. He knew not to trust a manipulative man like Mizuki, but he knew the man was aware of the possible outcome should he do anything to Sasuke. Any other day, Naruto would have flat out refused, trusting Sasuke to be able to deal with things. But this was no such situation. Sasuke was not his usual self and he was not capable of fending anyone off, much less someone like Mizuki. There really wasn't much left for Naruto to do, apparently.

"Fine," the blond mumbled, any tension leaving his body. "I'll do as you say."

He almost didn't hear Mizuki's delighted chuckle, too focused on trying to shut out whatever was going to happen next.

* * *

><p>"Where is this stupid key?"<p>

Sasuke had been searching for that damned key for what felt like hours. He had opened every single cupboard and drawer there was in this room and checked underneath every single chair and desk, but couldn't find the damn thing. With every second that passed, more and more horrible things were happening to Naruto. That was _exactly_ what he had been trying to prevent! And now he couldn't do anything because he was locked inside an abandoned office. His heart was still hammering inside his chest, adrenaline making his fingers shake as he frantically ran around trying to find spots he hadn't searched in yet.

_Maybe on top of one of the shelfs? _

Immediately after the thought hit him, Sasuke shoved one of the intact desk chairs towards a shelf and jumped onto it. Suppressing a sneeze when clouds of dust were stirred up as soon as he groped around the top of the shelve, the brunet could feel various items scattered on top. Nothing that felt like a key though. Cursing under his breath, he jumped down, shifted the chair to another shelf and climbed on top again. When he felt around the top of the shelf this time, his heart almost stopped when his fingers came in contact with something cold and thin. He grasped it tightly, certain now that it was a key.

Breathing hard now, he dashed towards the door, the chair beneath him tumbling to the floor. He almost stumbled on his way but caught himself. Once at the door, he first had to calm himself down so his hands would stop trembling like that. When he couldn't get the key into the keyhole, his heart dropped, another bout of panic claiming his chest and taking his breath. But then the key suddenly slid inside and he could turn it easily, the click of the door unlocking sounding heavenly to his ears.

He was out of the room within seconds, running into the direction he had heard Naruto escape into. Where exactly was he supposed to look? There was no doubt in his mind that Naruto would have been caught at this point. With the condition the blond was in, it was a miracle he had been able to run at all.

_Maybe the room with the lamp?_

That was really the only room Sasuke could imagine Naruto being taken to. It was likely the room he had been trapped in before, after all.

"No other choice but to check, huh?" Sasuke gasped as he broke into a run, uncaring of any noise he made now. There was no need to hide anymore.

Sasuke quickly noticed how much darker it was getting around him. More than once he stumbled over things lying on the floor, things he couldn't see in the darkness, couldn't spot with his sight this vague. But he ignored the pain of glass shards breaking his skin and rubble digging into his knees and shins whenever he fell. Within seconds he was up and running again each time, too focused on finding the way back to that room to pay any attention to whatever happened to his body. He even nearly forgot he was going blind, that he was merely stumbling around in the approaching darkness with only a vague idea of where to go. Merely guided by a memory and the ability to faintly make out what was within a two metre radius of himself.

It was frustrating, to say the least. Most of all, the fact that he could only blame himself.

Suddenly, a sliver of light snaked across the dusty floor in front of him and Sasuke knew that there could only be one room in this entire building it could be coming from. He slowly stopped in his tracks, coming to a halt in front of a closed door. The only advantage he had was the element of surprise. If he fucked up this one chance, he would be at a disadvantage. Neither him or Naruto were in a state to fight properly. He had only one shot.

Just as a plan was forming in his mind, Sasuke heard a muffled yell from inside and the noise of people scuffling. Casting away any thoughts of strategies or the like, he ripped open the door.

What he found inside was a sight that utterly petrified him. At first, he perceived nothing but the rapid dripping of liquid onto the floor, quickly forming a pool. Then he heard the sound of it, a quiet pitter-patter against the once large, pristine white tiles, now cracked. A faint ringing noise chimed within his head.

Next, he became aware of the colour of it.

Scarlet. Bright red like the afternoon sky outside.

Then he finally saw him. Bathed in the unnaturally white light of the battery-powered lamp, he stood motionlessly.

In that moment, all Sasuke saw was the terrified widening of those deep blue eyes.

Then the body hit the floor.

Sasuke could spot not a trace of life in those eyes.

* * *

><p>This took longer than it should have, but writing from the perspective of some insane dude isn't simple, kay. Sasuke's parts flowed easily enough, but those insane kidnapper parts were what delayed this chapter so much. They were necessary though, so I forced myself to write them. I'll try getting the next chapter done much sooner, but I won't make any promises.<p>

All I can promise is that I won't just abandon this story. I'll definitely write it till the end, so bear with me even if it takes a while.


	40. Call a Spade a Spade

So this chapter was done a week after I uploaded the last one. But then stuff happened (among them my hard drive failing yet again) and I was basically on hiatus for a few weeks, so I never got to proofread it, much less upload it. At the moment, I'm not sure how long it will take for me to get out the next few chapters. It's always hard to get back into writing when I've been on hiatus for so long.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter XXXX<span>  
><span>– Call a Spade a Spade –<span>

Sasuke could only watch as a pool of blood seeped out of the body splayed on the dirty floor. His gaze became transfixed on those unseeing eyes, not a trace of life left in them. "Naruto… what did you do?"

No answer came.

He wasn't sure if he was angry, relieved or anxious. Sasuke didn't know what to feel when looking at the dead body lying at his feet. "Naruto…"

"I…"

Sasuke tore his eyes away from the man on the floor to stare at the petrified blond on the other side of the room. "What happened?" Only now he caught sight of the gleaming red object in Naruto's hand.

"I… stabbed him," the blond murmured, almost inaudibly. He looked pale as a sheet, sweat running down the side of his face and neck. Shallow little pants escaped from his mouth. "I waited until he wasn't paying attention and… stabbed him."

Gulping, Sasuke slowly stepped around the body and approached the other teen just as Naruto's knees gave out and he crumbled to the floor. Sasuke felt a nervous tremor run through his body, even as he approached the blond. He stopped next to Naruto and listlessly stared at the corpse at his feet, racking his brain for an answer. Was it over? Were they safe? The threat was gone, so why was he still so anxious?

"Sa…"

Woken out of his daze by the unfinished murmur, Sasuke glanced to his side to find Naruto's state only worsening.

"Sa… Sasuke, I… I…" Naruto's wide eyes seemed locked on the puddle of blood slowly growing and approaching his bare feet. "I killed someone," he suddenly whispered sharply. "I killed someone, Sasuke."

Gulping, Sasuke found himself clueless on what to do. He couldn't possibly understand what was going on in Naruto's head at the moment; couldn't possibly fathom the effect of this event added to everything else that had happened. If he was in this type of situation, what would he want to hear? What would make him feel better? "Naruto…" Sasuke slowly kneeled down and when Naruto didn't react, he carefully nudged the other's shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly when the blond jumped at his touch and snapped his head around to stare at him with terrified eyes. "Naruto, you… aren't a bad person. You only defended yourself, so no one would ever blame you for what happened here."

"I killed someone, Sasuke," the blond hissed in response, gaze suddenly becoming wild. "I _killed_ someone! I just erased someone's existence! And it wasn't even a spur of the moment thing! I planned this! I've been planning this for so long, in so many different ways! These past few hours, I've been running around looking for a weapon, something I can hurt him with. Then I found this screwdriver and…"

Sasuke finally noticed that the gleaming red object in Naruto's hand was a blood-stained screwdriver. From the looks of it, the handle used to be bright yellow. Now it was so smeared in red that the original colour only barely showed through.

"I kept it hidden in the waistband of my boxers and waited," Naruto continued after a pause, staring down at the soiled screwdriver in his hand. "I knew Mizuki would be the least dangerous after…"

Even with his ruined eyesight Sasuke saw the pain flitting across Naruto's eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he already knew what had happened. He had tasted it on Naruto's tongue and smelled it on his skin, but hadn't wanted to accept it. That he had been too late, that what he had been trying to prevent had happened anyway. "He touched you with his filthy hands, didn't he?"

Naruto seemed to recognise the venom in Sasuke's tone. His shoulders sagged slightly at the realisation that the other knew exactly what had transpired. "I provoked him. He… didn't hold back at all after that. Afterwards… I stabbed him once in the chest, but he didn't even seem bothered. Just really, really angry." Naruto's fist suddenly clenched around the screwdriver, droplets of blood falling from his hand as he lifted it to eye the tool. "I don't remember what happened afterwards. All I know is that I was suddenly standing in front of him and that I had stabbed him in the neck. Then you came."

Sasuke stayed silent for a while, not wanting to say anything wrong. Naruto talking to him about this was a good sign though, right? "Let's get out of here first." Sasuke tried to ignore that all Naruto was wearing at the moment was a pair of boxers and a thin t-shirt, both caked in dirt, blood and other things. After standing up, he held out a hand for Naruto to take, certain the blond wouldn't be able to get up on his own. He smirked a little when Naruto glared at him but took his hand nonetheless. Sasuke had to support the blond once he was standing and could feel him shaking from the strain simply standing put on him. "Can you really walk?"

"Shut up and get me out of here," the blond snapped, pointedly looking away from the body on the floor.

Sasuke almost chuckled at the familiar attitude, but didn't quite manage to. The atmosphere was still thick and heavy in this cold, barren room. Just standing here made Sasuke feel oppressed and sick to the stomach. Just when he was about to smugly suggest to carry Naruto like a maiden in distress, he caught sight of a figure in the door. Of course, he couldn't see who exactly it was. Nonetheless, he could somehow tell that this person wasn't a friend.

"I see you've made quite a mess even before I got here," a sickeningly smooth and sharp voice drawled.

The voice sounded so disgusting and wrong to Sasuke that simply hearing it made his skin feel as though it was covered by a thin sheen of grime. It seemed to curl around Sasuke's neck like a revoltingly slick noose, wrapping around his insides and squeezing harshly. This voice alone sent violent shivers down Sasuke's spine. Shivers of disgust, anger, even _panic_. He couldn't defend himself, no less the injured blond in his arms. He couldn't even keep his composure in this state, unable to see, unable to even run.

There was nothing he could do.

"It's nice to finally see you again, Sasuke-kun. I was disappointed when you suddenly left without a word. Moreover, did you think you could simply leave without any consequences?"

"Orochimaru," the brunet hissed, unconsciously shifting so he was shielding Naruto with his body, noticing that the blond was intently staring at the man blocking the only exit. "Why are _you_ here?"

The man chuckled then, a deeply unsettling chuckle that left Sasuke even less composed. "I simply came when I was called. We wouldn't want fine specimen like you two to roam around freely now, would we?"

"Specimen?" Sasuke repeated, finally noticing the second figure hidden in the darkness behind Orochimaru. _Kabuto_, Orochimaru's assistant, he supposed. "What do you mean?"

Orochimaru tilted his head slightly as he approached, eventually stopping in front of Mizuki's body. His distaste and dissatisfaction with the situation became clear when he carelessly kicked the corpse. "One of the last Uchiha and the boy that is the only link to the infamous Kyuubi. Not to mention one of the last Uzumaki. Dissecting you two will surely uncover quite a few mysteries about the lineage of Konoha."

"You want to _dissect_ us?" Sasuke murmured, his panic slowly being replaced by anger. "Dissect us? To uncover mysteries? Do you really think you can uncover _anything_ about my family with your abilities? The Uchiha lineage isn't so cheap as to reveal anything to someone like you through _dissection_. You didn't find anything of value in the years I was with you and it will always be that way." Even without seeing the man's expression clearly, Sasuke could imagine the man's look of annoyance and anger. He knew that expression all too well, after all.

"Again with that cheeky mouth of yours," Orochimaru spat. "I've always hated that about you Uchiha. Especially you, you brat. Always acting as if you're superior simply because of your heritage." His distaste suddenly seemed to vanish. "Although, I must admit, the Uchiha used to be quite the impressive family. Of course, close to none of that glamor is left nowadays."

Sasuke tensed, about to shoot a heated retort, when he felt fingers dig into his arm. Naruto was staring at him intently and shook his head a little, signalling for him to stop agitating the man. The brunet swallowed the enraged words that were at the tip of his tongue back down, relaxing. He had to keep his composure. It was their only chance at survival right now. He had to stall for time. "Were you the one that was stalking Naruto?"

"Of course you would figure that out, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru _praised_. "I guess living together for as long as we did would do that. You've matured quite a lot under my care after all, right?"

Sasuke could feel Naruto's questioning eyes boring into him. "Later," he whispered, promising to explain everything to the blond once this was all over. "So it was you that kept attacking him?"

"Sometimes it was me, sometimes I was too busy and sent Kabuto. Sometimes we both went." Orochimaru chuckled again, taking another step closer, making Sasuke inch back. "It was quite entertaining, seeing his sanity slowly deteriorate under the pressure. Truly fascinating how such a once bright person could be reduced to this. He went from innocent and happy to gloomy and stoic, then back to happy and then hit rock bottom again. Very interesting, indeed. It provided quite a lot of material for me to study. It's fascinating to see how someone can change and revert so many times. I wonder if there is a limit. But alas, I now need you for other research, Naruto-kun."

"What other research?" Sasuke snarled, struggling to maintain his composure. He was gradually growing tenser and tenser, body rigid and loaded with adrenaline, strung like a bow. He was ready to bolt and attack the man, although he knew there was little chance of him succeeding. If only Orochimaru stayed where he was. All Sasuke had to do was stall. "What other sick experiments are you planning to perform on him?"

"Nothing really," Orochimaru drawled with mock innocence. "I simply want to draw out the quite infamous Kyuubi that I have heard so much about. He has left me quite puzzled after encountering him only once."

"That's unlike you," Sasuke pointed out. "Aren't you only interested in dead bodies and ass kissers? Why go to such lengths to obtain someone that's so far out of your reach?"

Orochimaru snarled then, taking another, enraged step forward. "I don't want to hear that from you! You stayed under my roof for years, so what does that make you?"

"I'm neither a dead body, nor an ass kisser, so _you_ tell me." Perhaps making Orochimaru mad wasn't the best idea, but shooting out insults was the only way Sasuke knew how to handle the man.

As expected, Orochimaru didn't blindly jump on his taunts. The man merely relaxed back into a less rigid stance and chuckled quietly. "I wonder if Naruto-kun knows what exactly Kyuubi is. How much he knows about the person he trusts most."

"What are you saying?" Naruto suddenly cut in, straightening up slightly against Sasuke. "What am I supposed to know?"

"You really don't understand, do you?" the man mocked, Kabuto stepping forward to stand beside him. "Kyuubi holds all the answers to the questions I have been trying to answer all my life. Do you know how many secrets of life examining and dissecting him could solve? Do you know what kind of magnificent creature he is? You _don't_ know. You know _nothing_. You are ignorant little runt that doesn't even question the things–"

The man's words were cut off when both Orochimaru and Kabuto suddenly dropped backwards, their heads knocking against the hard floor and creating a painful cracking noise.

Sasuke's jaw dropped open as he stared into crimson eyes, only now registering what had happened. "Did you just grab their hair and throw them down?"

"Sure did." A redhead then walked into the room and stepped over Mizuki's corpse to reach the two. "You both look like absolute shit."

"Well, sorry for nearly getting killed," Naruto grumbled quietly, slowly relaxing. "Why are you even here?" Although he tried to sound annoyed, he was clearly relieved at the sight of Kyuubi.

"Bubblegum called me. Said 3600 seconds had passed and that Emo Jesus here still hadn't come out."

"Emo Jesus?" Sasuke repeated, irritation evident in his tone. "I–"

"Let me take a look at your face," Kyuubi demanded, taking a hold of Naruto's head with both hands and slightly turning it to get a look from different angles. "He fucked you up, that bastard. If you hadn't stabbed him, I definitely would have." He suddenly turned around and glared down at Orochimaru and Kabuto lying on the floor face down. "Morons didn't even notice me coming in. I guess Mr. Sauce distracted them enough for me to go completely unnoticed."

Again, Sasuke perked up. "By Mr. Sauce, do you mean–"

"Why the fuck is their hair so smooth," Kyuubi mused, staring at his hand in a puzzled manner. "Nasty." Again, he eyed the two men on the floor. "I doubt they're gonna stay down for long. Better get out before the bulls show up. Although…"

Sasuke recognised the gleam in the man's eyes and was unsure whether or not he should interfere. He doubted he even _could_ interfere.

"Kyuubi…"

There was a warning in Naruto's harsh tone. It was a tone Sasuke had never heard from the blond before and when he glanced at Naruto's face, even through the haze and darkness, he could see something dangerous in his gaze.

"I know, I know." Kyuubi threw up his arms in surrender, seeming to want to soothe the blond. "I won't do anything unless you tell me to."

"You're weirdly obedient," Naruto noted with a hint of suspicion.

"Or maybe you just got bossier."

Naruto seemed to smile at that slightly, before going slack and wavering a little where he stood. "I feel kinda dizzy."

Sasuke tightened his hold on the blond, while Kyuubi stared at Naruto with a scowl. The redhead strolled to the blond's other side, seemingly glaring down at the mop of blond hair. "Do I have to carry you like some maiden in distress?"

Naruto didn't answer, knowing he couldn't even walk without help, but not wanting to respond to Kyuubi's teasing either.

"Little shit," Kyuubi chuckled, picking up the blond anyway and ignoring Sasuke's half-hearted glare.

After all, Sasuke was useless in the dark. Plus, he was still injured himself and didn't have the strength left to carry another person's weight. Although it annoyed him that all he had been able to do was stall so that Kyuubi could take the two men down, he was relieved more than anything.

"Hey, Swagsuke…" Kyuubi suddenly called over his shoulder as he left the room with Naruto already passed out in his arms.

"Swag… Do you mean me?" Sasuke asked, the usual rage that would have accompanied his question gone as he eyed the bodies littering the floor once again. He was still anxious, still wary.

Kyuubi was silent for a moment, easily navigating through the dark hallways as though he had walked them for years. Naruto seemed to have passed out in the redhead's arms, his breathing steady and reassuring. The sun was nearly gone and only a few weak rays of sunlight illuminated the inside of the abandoned building.

For the first time since meeting the mysterious redhead, Sasuke truly believed that Kyuubi was an enigma he would never understand in a million years. One that no one would ever understand.

"Thanks for leading me here," Kyuubi said in a weirdly calm tone. "I wouldn't have found this hideout without your intel."

A confused frown settled on Sasuke's face. "What are you talking about?"

"You knew who took Naruto once I described who I was suspecting, right? You don't think I didn't notice you spying on me, do you? You weren't exactly stealthy." Kyuubi suddenly chuckled to himself. "I figured I would give you a hint and let you lead me here. You wouldn't have cooperated with me anyway."

Sasuke stayed silent after that, taking to staring at the back of the man's head instead. What exactly was he supposed to say in a situation like this anyway? In trying to outsmart this guy, he had gotten completely outsmarted himself. In the end, he had been nearly completely useless.

"You did pretty well back there, Saucesuke," Kyuubi suddenly said, voice uncannily low.

_Almost_. "I didn't do all that much."

"If you hadn't kept those two busy and distracted them, they would have noticed me right away. And thanks to you, I got there in time."

Sasuke didn't quite know how to respond to that, so he simply shrugged. "I'm surprised Orochimaru went down like that. I was able to nearly kill him when I left him, but I had to prepare for weeks before trying. What even are you to be able to just knock him out like that? And Kabuto too."

Kyuubi shrugged a little, turning his head slightly to send a small smirk at the brunet. "Just a friend of Naruto."

* * *

><p>Resting on fluffy clouds. Floating in the the peaceful ocean. Lying in a pile of feathers. That was how Naruto would describe what he felt like at the moment. He knew for sure that until just a moment ago he had been dreaming, but the moment he tried to recall what about, the memory disappeared from his grasp.<p>

The comforting, floating feeling began to fade when Naruto heard a steady beeping. It invaded this calm easily, piercing it and forcing Naruto to return to reality. _A heart monitor…_ He slowly became more aware, feeling the mattress underneath him and the sheets thrown over his body. _I'm in hospital again, huh?_ Grimly, he smiled to himself. _I wonder if those two creeps got away. And Mizuki… Did I really kill him? Was he really dead? What if I didn't and those three are still roaming around somewhere? If they are… With Sasuke being–_

_Sasuke!_

Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open. He tried to sit up, wincing and immediately falling back down when he felt the dull ache radiating throughout his entire body. Looking to his side, he found the IV bag he was hooked up with. Apparently, it was streaming pain killers into his right arm, eliminating the worst pain but not making it completely vanish. Naruto wanted to rub over his still tired and blurry eyes, but found that his left arm was obstructed by a weight. Confused, the blond tried to wiggle it around unsuccessfully. _What…_ It took Naruto a lot of blinking and patience until he was able to clearly see what was weighing down part of his body. "Sasuke…" Naruto's tired voice came out groggy and hoarse.

Settling back into the bed, Naruto was suddenly content being where he was. It didn't matter anymore whether or not Mizuki was alive. Where his two stalkers were didn't matter either. Sasuke was alive and safe and at the moment, that was all that mattered. He could worry about everything else later.

Naruto found himself watching Sasuke sleep next to him. Like him, the brunet was lying on his back, taking up slightly more space than Naruto. The headrest was raised a bit, making them both sit up. It was cramped, naturally, and the only reason neither of them had fallen out yet was due to someone having put up the metal bed rails to their sides. Briefly, Naruto wondered why exactly Sasuke was sleeping so soundly at his side, but figured he would find out at some point. He grinned at the prospect of teasing the other with this once he woke up. He noted how insanely quietly Sasuke slept. Even his breathing was close to silent. Naruto knew for a fact that he snored, so it was astounding to him that someone could sleep so quietly.

Naruto being Naruto, it was no surprise that the blond quickly grew bored of Sasuke's unmoving face. As such, he ended up blowing air into the other's face in hopes of waking him. "Come on," he moaned, blowing harder. "I think my arm's falling asleep. Or maybe it's _already _asleep. I can't even tell."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open all of a sudden, looking somewhat startled. "What the–"

Cackling, Naruto watched as nothing but confusion occupied the other's expression. "Did I wake you up?" he asked sweetly.

"I… was dreaming about being on a boat, but then I was suddenly skydiving with a bowl of miso ramen. Why would a bowl of ramen even need a parachute?"

For only a second, Naruto stared at Sasuke, before bursting out into loud laughter that boomed throughout the entire and slightly startled the other teen. "O-Ow," he gasped mid-laughter, tears threatening to escape his eyes. "I can't… Sasuke– Ow…" The next time he glanced at the brunet, he found Sasuke smirking at him, the Uchiha's way of laughing along with him. "You're such a bastard," the blond spat. "Trying to kill me as soon as you wake up." Finally calming down, Naruto took a few seconds to forcibly even out his breathing to prevent more pain, before locking eyes with Sasuke again. "Why are you in my bed?"

For a brief moment, Sasuke's dull eyes widened, before morphing into an indifferent look again. "My bed was uncomfortable."

Naruto quickly glanced around the room they were currently occupying by themselves. "Where's your bed?"

"In… a different room." Sasuke suddenly frowned.

"Why–" Naruto had to suppress the laughter bubbling up. "Then why did you come to my room of all places?" When Sasuke seemingly refused to answer that, Naruto nudged the other's shoulder with his own. "Did you _miss_ meeeee?"

"Shut up, dumbass." The Uchiha turned his head away, defiantly staring into the opposite direction.

"Aaaaaw, lil' Sasuke got lonely. Want me to hold you and make it better?"

"I told you to shut up!"

Naruto merely chuckled at the heated look Sasuke threw him after snapping his head back around. Suddenly, the blond's expression became less bright. "Hey, um… are you… okay?" A bit scared, Naruto watched Sasuke's expression, the various emotions reflected in those dull eyes. "Your eyes, I mean. Can you still…" Naruto had already noticed that Sasuke wasn't quite looking _at_ him, more like in the general direction of his face.

"I can still see you," Sasuke eventually said hesitantly. "A bit." It was evidently difficult for the Uchiha to connect with Naruto's eyes. "I… know you're there, but I… I…"

"It's okay," Naruto cut in, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "I get it and I… I'm sorry. Maybe if I hadn't dragged you into my mess, your eyes–"

"Don't say that!" the other suddenly snapped. "I would have lost my eyesight sooner or later anyway. I told you that, didn't I? I've been prepared for this happening, so you have absolutely no fault in this."

Unable to argue with that, Naruto settled back down. It was silent between them for a while, with both boys staring up at the bland ceiling. "It must be terrifying," Naruto eventually mumbled. "Just the thought of losing any of my senses, especially my eyesight or my hearing, is terrifying to me. I can't even imagine what you must be going through."

"I…" Sasuke seemed to mull something over in his head for a while, before tensing slightly. "I suddenly feel like an irreplaceable part of me broke, like I'm not _whole_ anymore. I can't even see myself and I _know _I'm still here, but somehow… somehow I feel like I've lost my identity. It's unsettling." He relaxed slowly, the tension seeping out of his body bit by bit. "And it's actually not true that your other senses make up for the loss of sight. With time, blind people simply get used to concentrating more and paying more attention to their surroundings. Your other senses don't just magically make up for what you lost. It just doesn't work like that."

Naruto decided to remain silent and simply listen for once. Sasuke talking so openly about his thoughts and feelings was rare enough. He couldn't ruin this.

"It's frightening. Not being able to tell what's around you," Sasuke continued slowly. "Sure, my hearing still provides information, but only about people and objects that emit sound. Touch only reaches what's within my arm's reach. All of a sudden, people and objects appear out of nowhere without me being able to predict them. Unless they make any sounds, I can't really detect them anymore. All of a sudden… my world seems so small." A dry chuckle suddenly came from the brunet. "To be honest, I had to have a nurse lead me here. I kept bumping into things when I tried coming by myself. She tried getting me back into my own room, but… Well, I guess a certain someone owed me a favour and so I was brought here."

"Someone owes _you_ a favour?" Naruto laughed. "What, is it gonna rain unicorns next?"

Sasuke lightly bumped his shoulder into Naruto's, smirking again when the blond chuckled. His smirk didn't last long though. "I… I really hate being around people now. More than I already did. I can't see anyone's face. I can't read anyone's expressions and it's frustrating. I can't tell what people think anymore. Talking to people suddenly seems… scary." A small, frustrated sigh, passed the Uchiha's lips. "And I guess I'll be nothing but the _blind kid_ to people now. Just being blind is going to draw all types of attention to me, no matter what I do. If I become a lawyer, I'll be the _blind lawyer_. If I end up winning a nobel prize, I'll be the _blind nobel prize winner_. If I decide to assassinate the president, I'll be the _blind assassin_. No matter what I do, all I'll ever be to people is the blind person."

Naruto smiled a little at that statement, albeit sadly. "Typical Sasuke. Even in this situation, all future scenarios you're imagining for yourself are ridiculously grand."

"Becoming a layer isn't all that grand," Sasuke grumbled. "I think a few of my distant cousins were lawyers, actually. Quite well-known ones too."

"Dude, the Uchiha had their hands in everything," Naruto said with mock annoyance. "I wouldn't be surprised if they had some ramen shop enterprise going on back then too."

Sasuke genuinely chuckled at that, his tensed limbs easing up. And finally, the brunet seemed to notice that he was lying on top of Naruto's left arm. "Sorry," he mumbled, trying to move his body so Naruto could pull his arm away.

Naruto moaned in discomfort when pins and needles assault his arm that had actually fallen asleep after all. "Ugh, it hurts." With his arm now free, Naruto struggled to find a comfortable position, but it quickly became clear to him as well as Sasuke that there simply wasn't enough space for both of them on the bed like this. "Uh…" Shifting around beside Sasuke, Naruto, with his limited movement, couldn't quite find a good position. That is, until Sasuke lifted an arm and Naruto ended up with his head on the other's chest. "Um… I…"

"It's fine," Sasuke murmured, letting his arm settle around Naruto. "I don't mind."

"O-Okay." Naruto could feel his cheeks burning and knew he must look like a tomato. He let himself relax into Sasuke, immediately calming down when he heard the other's strong and steady heartbeat.

"Can I ask you something?"

Naruto flinched a little at the sudden question, but quickly settled back down into Sasuke's warmth. "S-Sure."

Sasuke didn't immediately ask and instead stared at the ceiling for a long moment. Eventually though, he glanced down at Naruto. "How come you never told anyone about what was happening at home? Of course I understand that you were probably intimidated and ashamed, but still…"

Gulping, Naruto was immediately assaulted with memories and couldn't help but go rigid. "I just…" He didn't even know how to explain. _I should just tell him everything. _"It started when I was around thirteen, I think," he began carefully, quietly. "It's not like Mizuki treated me well before that, but whatever he did I just accepted. Staying with him was my only option and much better than ending up on the street. Or at least I thought so. Until he started… _assaulting_ me, you now." His throat suddenly felt painfully dry and Naruto gulped again. "When it started, I… knew somehow that it was wrong. That it shouldn't be happening. But after a while I just accepted that it was going to be a part of my life too. I thought it was justified. Everyone always glared at me and avoided me and I didn't know why. Back then I thought that I must have done something for people to hate me so much and that Mizuki's treatment was completely justified. And… eventually… I just stopped resisting altogether." Naruto could feel Sasuke tense up. The blond could almost feel the poorly contained anger dancing across the Uchiha's body. "I gave up on fighting back and went along with it because I thought that if I consented… it wouldn't be rape anymore, you know. And so, for the longest time I just let him do whatever he wanted, thinking it was right and that if I didn't resist it couldn't be something wrong. It… became part of my life."

Sasuke let out a big puff of breath, obviously shaken up. "I swear, if you hadn't stabbed that guy, I definitely would have."

Smiling a little at that, Naruto managed to calm down quickly enough. With Sasuke there, he felt as though nothing bad could really affect him anymore. Just then, a thought suddenly hit him and he released a silent gasp. "Hey, Sasuke…"

"Hm?" the other returned, sounding slightly tired. What time was it anyway?

"What about that Madara thing? Are things really okay the way they are? Is he really just gonna leave me be?" Naruto didn't miss how Sasuke suddenly grew eerily still. "Sasuke?"

"I…" Sasuke's voice had come out weirdly heated. The teen audibly gulped as he forced himself to regain his composure. "I… took your place."

"What?"

"There was no other way. Madara wouldn't have left you go otherwise. I had to assure him there was no way you would tell anyone about what you saw _there_. That there wouldn't even be anyone you could tell anything to."

"But…!" Naruto tried sitting up, but Sasuke tightened his hold on him and kept him down. "Didn't you say he would back off if you claimed that I'm under your care or something?"

"Don't be naive, Naruto," Sasuke chided. "Think about my status right now. Even with Itachi there I had no power. Madara has powerful allies backing him. I have nothing."

Naruto grew silent after that, trying to comprehend the situation at hand. Trying to comprehend what _taking his place_ entailed. "So you're–"

"No!" Sasuke immediately barked. "Just business things. Jobs. Nothing to worry about."

So many questions suddenly shot through Naruto's mind, making him unable to clearly understand what he even wanted to ask. It took him a while, but eventually, one question pushed itself to the forefront of his mind. "Then why did you want us to pretend to be in a relationship?"

Sasuke let out a long sigh at that moment, as though he had dreaded the question. "Are you just pretending to be stupid or are you really _that_ oblivious?"

Confused, Naruto glanced up at the Uchiha. He noticed Sasuke's eyebrows slightly twitching into a barely there scowl.

Sighing another time, this time quite dramatically, Sasuke let all tension leave his body. "I care about you. A lot."

A warmth spread in Naruto chest all of a sudden. A warmth that seemed to travel throughout his entire body, until it all eventually accumulated in his face, particularly his cheeks and nose bridge. His mouth gaped open and closed like that of a fish as he stared at Sasuke's face, trying to find the words to respond with. But Sasuke merely glared down at him with an annoyed expression.

"Shut up," he snapped. "I already know what you're gonna say, you moron."

And shut up Naruto did. For a quite a while actually. He guessed that at least two minutes passed before he trusted his voice not to crack or waver. "Can I ask _you_ a question now?"

Sasuke seemed hesitant, but eventually mumbled a "Yes."

"How did you know that man– Orochimaru, was it? The one who's been stalking me? It sounded like you were with him those years when you were gone. Is it related to those _jobs_ you're doing for Madara?"

"Those are two questions, idiot," Sasuke growled, albeit lacking the bite behind his words. "But very well, I'll answer your question. I was going to tell you sooner or later anyway." The Uchiha let his head drop back against a pillow, staring up at the ceiling again. "I went to Orochimaru of my own free will. My only goal at that time was to hunt down Itachi and I needed Orochimaru to help me find him. He was the only person I knew that could help me with what I wanted to do and I was willing to give him whatever he wanted in return. If it meant avenging my family, I didn't even care if I died as a result." He briefly paused, seeming to recollect his thoughts for a moment. "Every now and then, I had to do him little _favours_. Take care of things he didn't want to dirty his own hands with." Sasuke didn't have to wait for Naruto to ask him to elaborate on that specific part. "Intimidating people, delivering things, bringing him new test subjects, things like that. I was a useful asset to him, so he never harmed me seriously."

"You were a gangster," Naruto laughed, albeit dryly.

A small smirk spread on Sasuke's lips. "I guess you could say so." He let out another puff of breath, seeming to relax a little. "I think you've run into Suigetsu. He was with Orochimaru as well until I left."

Naruto immediately perked up as memories of the upbeat boy flashed before his eyes. He momentarily wondered if he was okay and how things with Sai were going. "I met Karin too. She works at Kurenai-sensei's place. And she told me to say _Hi _from her or something." Naruto caught the look of distaste on the other's face and cackled a little. "What? Is she another one of your fangirls?"

"Exactly," Sasuke spat. "Although I have to admit she was useful. She made a few of my jobs much easier. Suigetsu and Juugo as well. In the end, I had to prepare for a few months, but the experience I'd gained while I was with Orochimaru enabled me to take him down and leave unscathed. I thought he was dead, but I guess he isn't that easy to kill. One reason I left after two years under his care was that he was starting to get too overzealous with his _experiments_ on me."

Nodding understandingly, Naruto slowly far, all this didn't sound nearly as bad as what he had imagined. Minus the _nearly killing an old pervert _part, of course. "What exactly do you mean by _experiments_?" Naruto asked warily. Having gone through the things he had, he couldn't help but imagine the worst case scenario.

"Not what you're thinking," Sasuke assured him. "Orochimaru might be a creepy pervert, but whatever he does is solely for the sake of his own sick sense of science. He would take my blood on a regular basis, administer different, probably illegal, drugs to me, run tests on me, study my eyes and specifically my DNA. I guess he wanted to figure out what was different about male Uchiha DNA to cause us to lose our sight at some point in life. Because of his prediction on the condition of my eyes, I decided to leave when I did, since I knew I was running out of time."

"So are these jobs you did for Orochimaru similar to what you did for Madara?"

"Mostly." Sasuke, too, relaxed a little, now that the bulk of what he had to say was out there. "For me, it's nothing dangerous. I can take care of myself and having been under Orochimaru's _care_ definitely honed any skills I needed for these kind of things. It was the better option compared to what you would have been forced to do otherwise."

With all this newfound knowledge, Naruto suddenly found himself extremely at ease. Being unaware of what Sasuke's life had been like in those years of his absence had been a constant nagging worry at the back of his mind. Now that he had been entrusted with all this information, his heart suddenly felt surprisingly light. Soon enough though, it got weighed down by another of his many worries. "What are we going to do now?"

Sasuke didn't answer, resorting instead to fiddling with the collar of Naruto's hospital gown.

"I mean… staying with Kakashi-sensei was supposed to be temporary. And I'll probably get dragged to court for murdering someone. I honestly doubt I'll get out of this with no conviction. With how much people hate me, I doubt I'll get a lawyer, much less a fair trial. They'll probably find some excuse to–"

"I won't allow that," Sasuke suddenly cut the blond off. "I'll get you a good lawyer and make sure the court case is fair. As long as I'm here, you won't get wrongfully judged."

Naruto couldn't quite decide whether to be happy about Sasuke offering his help or offended that he was being treated like a helpless child. "Thanks, Sasuke," he eventually mumbled, happiness having ruled over his slightly hurt pride. Relaxing where he was still lying nestled in Sasuke's arm, Naruto found that he had run out of questions to ask. Everything he had been worrying and mulling over the past months had been cleared up. All his doubts and anxieties concerning Sasuke were suddenly gone and it left him feeling weirdly light, almost intimidatingly so. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry or do both.

"You should go back to sleep," Sasuke interrupted his train of thought. "It's still pretty early. I doubt anyone else is already up."

Indeed, it was only just getting bright outside. Naruto sighed quietly as he stared out of the window, wishing Sasuke could see the same things he did. That Sasuke didn't have to go through this kind of thing.

Suddenly, something bumped against the room's door from outside, startling both teens. Unconsciously, Sasuke tightened his hold around the blond, his palm firmly settling over Naruto's shoulder and pushing the other further against him. Although he couldn't even see much, his eyes seemed intensely focused on the door.

It opened a moment later and Naruto perked up when he caught sight of the figure slowly inching into the room. "Ka…" His voice got stuck in his throat and he tried sitting up, Sasuke eventually helping him when the blond refused to lie back down.

Hooked up with a portable IV bag, a man stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him, then shuffled to Naruto's side and sat down on a chair. "I'm glad to see that you both seem okay."

Naruto was sure that under that mask of his, Kakashi was smiling. "I… I…" Voice tear stricken, Naruto struggled to force out a response through the bone crushing relief washing over him. He watched Kakashi slowly and carefully getting off his chair, wincing slightly at the movement. Naruto wanted to immediately demand the man sit back down and stop moving, but his angry scolding was cut off by the man pulling him into a hug. The tension slowly eased out of his body and Naruto melted into the embrace. He noted how out of character this way of acting was for Kakashi and wondered what kind of drugs the man had been administered. "I thought you were going to die," Naruto whispered once he knew his voice wasn't going to give out on him again.

Kakashi finally pulled away from the blond and carefully settled back down in his chair. "I nearly did," he admitted darkly, staring down at the floor. "Things just went completely wrong. I honestly didn't expect things to turn out so well in the end. At least compared to all the things I was imagining."

All of a sudden, a flood gate seemed to have opened in Naruto's mind again and another plethora of questions flooded his thoughts. "What happened? Why…"

Briefly, Kakashi glanced at the blond thoughtfully, before simply staring at one of the bland paintings hung on the walls. "I haven't been able to contact my colleagues so far, so I'm not sure what the situation with Mizuki, Orochimaru and Kabuto is, but I'll try getting information on that as soon as possible." He paused for a moment and stared out of the window through which more and more sunlight was filtering through. "We suspected several people of being your stalker, all highly dangerous people. Orochimaru was one of them, but the evidence we had leading towards him was so minor and weak that it was impossible to find a connection between him and you. All we could do was keep an eye on you and wait for him to make contact with you. But any time someone got close to him… they were taken out."

"You mean–"

"Don't blame yourself," Kakashi immediately interjected when he caught sight of the absolute horror and pain in the blond's eyes. "We have been chasing Orochimaru for years and were prepared for losses. We've suffered losses because of him before and you only happened to be his target this time."

That somewhat put Naruto's mind at ease, but it didn't completely erase the guilt from his mind.

"I guess I was getting too close to Orochimaru as well," Kakashi continued solemnly. "Him being your stalker is the conclusion I came to based on the last few reports my men gave me before some of them were taken down. It was only a guess, but it turned out right because sure enough, both Orochimaru's assistant and Mizuki invaded my apartment and tried to attack me. I was able to fend them off for a while, but then Kabuto, the assistant, handed me his phone and I was suddenly talking to Orochimaru." Kakashi suddenly grew silent. Something was evidently eating at him. "Turns out Orochimaru and his henchmen had set up several bombs in Konoha Highschool over the course of the past few weeks."

"That's impossible," Sasuke finally spoke up.

"It's true though," the man sighed, suddenly seeming unbelievably tired and exhausted. "I didn't doubt it. We already knew that either Orochimaru or Kabuto had been to the school at least once. We assumed it was for the sole purpose of making contact with Naruto, but apparently, that wasn't Orochimaru's only objective. I had no reason to doubt his words. I _couldn't_ doubt his words."

Slowly, the pieces in Naruto's were coming together and were forming a horrifying picture. "He threatened you."

Kakashi momentarily locked eyes with Naruto's hard gaze, before nodding. "I had no choice," he shrugged. "I'd told my superiors that we needed more manpower on this case to be able to provide more security, but we had no proof to base my concerns on. We ended up underpowered and overwhelmed. Looking back on it, I regret not trusting my gut feeling more."

Now it was Naruto's turn to protest. "Everything turned out fine, didn't it? I probably would have ended up in that creep's hands much sooner if not for you."

Kakashi brightened up a little at the blond's attempt at cheering him up. "I guess so," he sighed. "Like you said, I was threatened and told that the moment I defended myself, they would blow the school up. So I relented. I doubted that they would actually blow up the school, but there was a chance Orochimaru would do something unlike him and do it anyway. So I went along with their little game."

"And nothing happened to the school," Naruto mumbled with not a little amount of awe in his voice. "What about Gaara? Is he okay? Do you know what happened to him?"

The man's gaze became regretful, looking at Naruto with sympathy. "Sadly, I don't. I was barely conscious when they brought him to my apartment and by that time, he was already out cold. I passed out trying to get to him. And about his current condition…"

Naruto gulped when he caught the hesitation in the man's attitude, knowing immediately that he wouldn't like whatever words would come out of Kakashi's mouth next.

"He still hasn't woken up," Kakashi explained after a short pause. "They apparently operated on him for a very long time and although the surgeries were successful, they can't tell if or when he will wake up. His siblings have been in his room since yesterday and refuse to leave."

No matter what anyone tried to tell Naruto, Gaara getting hurt was his fault. Gaara clearly had been trying to protect him and had nearly gotten himself killed in the process. What if Gaara actually died? There was a chance Naruto would never get to know what had happened to him.

The door suddenly flew open again and in came a quite annoyed looking brunet. "Hatake-san!" the head nurse barked. Her eyes wandered to the two teens on the bed briefly and a small smile curled her lips, then melted back into a stern expression. "I have told you repeatedly to stay in bed! I purposely did not tell you the location of this room so you would give up searching eventually! Your stitches will burst if you keep wandering around like this!"

A little stunned by Shizune's appearance, Naruto watched the little bit of colour drain from Kakashi's face, making him look even more sickly than he already did. "You should go back to bed."

Kakashi looked at the blond thoughtfully, obviously contemplating whether he really _wanted_ to leave Naruto. But then his eyes wandered to Sasuke, narrowing almost indiscernibly, before breaking away. He sighed and nodded, letting Shizune help him out of the chair and into a wheelchair, before being guided back outside.

Before either of them could even reach the door though, yet another person entered, looking at least twice as fierce as Shizune had upon entering. The blonde's eyes fell on Kakashi and filled with annoyance, before flicking to the pair on the bed and softening. "You're awake," she smirked. What kind emotion caused that smirk was hard to tell. "Kakashi!" she barked, loud enough to wake whoever was still sleeping in the hospital. "Back to your room or I will personally knock you back in there, you brat!"

"Yes, mom," the man drawled, seeming the least bit impressed when the air around Tsunade suddenly seemed to turn poisonous and the woman began to positively ooze bloody murder.

"I will get back at you for that as soon as you won't fall apart the moment my finger even comes into a thirty centimetre radius of you," Tsunade hissed, watching with a scowl as Shizune pushed Kakashi away, who simply waved at her over his shoulder. "Cocky brat."

Naruto almost laughed, but given the situation, he wasn't exactly in the mood. "Granny…" Grinning weakly when the woman turned murderous eyes on him, he unconsciously began to pick at the seam of the thin hospital blanket. "How's Gaara?"

The tension seemed to leave Tsunade with the puff of breath she let out, her entire posture slumping a little. "I figured you would ask that first." Expression sour, the blonde strode towards the chair Kakashi had occupied until only a minute ago and sat down. "I'm not supposed to let you know even the tiniest detail about his condition, but his siblings wanted you to know."

Naruto gulped nervously, feeling Sasuke's hand settle on his back, anchoring him only slightly.

"The stab wounds seemed to have been placed quite precisely in places that wouldn't immediately kill him, but leave him alive long enough to suffer through slowly bleeding out and being unable to breathe properly the entire time. His kidneys were damaged, part of his liver had to be removed, both his lungs collapsed due to being punctured and his heart was damaged severely. In the surgeries supposed to patch his heart and lungs back together, both failed."

The sense of impending doom that had lingered around Naruto's mind ever since Tsunade entrance suddenly condensed into a cold mass that seemed to wrap around him, choking him, squeezing the life out of him.

"Let me finish talking before getting a panic attack, brat," Tsunade calmly chided with a small glare. "I'm a master surgeon, don't forget that." Her glare eased up a little as she relaxed into her chair. "His heart and lungs failed completely and had to be replaced, lest he would have died. The thing is, we _did_ find a donor and were able to replace his heart and lungs and salvage his life. I was busy operating on him almost all night and only finished up a while ago, but now all that's left is to see whether or not his body rejects the new organs. Transplanting one organ is already a tricky procedure, but two at the same time is a bit more problematic. His survival chance isn't very high, considering all the damage he took. But me being a master surgeon, I'm confident he's gonna live." A triumphant smirk splayed across Tsunade's features. "So you can stop wallowing in misery now, brat."

Naruto breathed out slowly, shakily, and willed his locked up limbs to ease up. All strength suddenly left his body and he felt as though he was falling, but instead of dropping out of the bed, he was caught and held by pale arms. "Thanks," he murmured quietly, glancing at both Tsunade and Sasuke.

After observing the two teens for a moment, Tsunade suddenly jumped from her chair, her hands confidently placed on her hips. "Now about what I actually came here for…"

Naruto's relaxed expression morphed into a confused frown. "You didn't come to tell us about Gaara?"

"Of course not," the blonde spat. "I'm not your personal messenger, you stupid brat."

His confusion only grew when Tsunade's eyes locked with Sasuke's and they engaged in a stare battle with neither willing to back down. Puzzled, Naruto glanced back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. He couldn't quite read either of their expressions, but he was sure he saw something like approval in Tsunade's honey brown eyes.

Tsunade's red painted nails glinted as she flicked a lock of her blond hair out of her face. "Uchiha, I came to discuss your brother's will."

* * *

><p>I've already started on the next chapter, but reached a scene that's extremely difficult for me to write, since I don't know what exactly I even want in that one. I might have to take it out, even though it's important.<p>

Again, sorry for always taking so long. But this story is coming to an end and I don't want to rush out chapters that are this important.

– Murasaki B

P.S.: I recently came to the conclusion that both Naruto and Sasuke are tsundere (towards each other, at least). _Two tsundere clashing_ describes their dynamic so perfectly, it's amazing. I'm still surprised I never saw this before.


	41. New Light

Okay wow, somehow I passed 10,000 words without noticing, thinking I still had a few thousand words to go before the chapter would be done. Basically could've uploaded this a month earlier or so. Sorry? I just started uni so I also didn't get to proofread this thing earlier (as always).

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Chapter XXXXI

– New Light –

The tension in the room was palpable, floating in the air like an eerie fog. Tsunade's words still hung heavy and the woman remained where she was, stoically staring at the expressionless Uchiha.

"My brother's will?" the brunet repeated the blonde's earlier words. "How would you know about his will? Wasn't the letter he wrote the only thing he left?"

Tsunade's eyes briefly flicked to Naruto, the woman seeming hesitant for only a moment. "There was more to that letter. And in accordance with Itachi's wishes, Naruto withheld that little fact to you until now."

Sasuke's unseeing eyes narrowed as different thoughts crossed his minds, none of them quite making sense. "Why didn't he want me to know?"

"Because that part of the letter was supposed to be read by me only," the woman shot back, apparently having expected those exact questions. "No one else _but_ me would have been able to decipher it anyway." Tsunade paused for a moment to seemingly mull over her next words. "What was written in that letter is highly classified information. Even with my position as head physician, it's dangerous to know what was contained in that letter. That means you have absolutely no need for that information."

Anger immediately creeped into Sasuke's expression and the Uchiha made to bark a retort, but Naruto's hand suddenly clamping around his shoulder made him clench his teeth instead.

Deciding that Sasuke wasn't going to lash out at her, for now, Tsunade continued. "Apparently, Itachi did some research into that condition that took your eyesight. He tried finding a way to return his own weakening eyesight back to normal, but was unsuccessful. He came to the conclusion that once an Uchiha's eyes have lost the ability to see, it's impossible to reverse the damage. I'm not going to tell you what exactly it was he found out regarding the cause of this condition, that being the classified information, but there is one thing he wanted me to do, apparently."

Unwittingly, Sasuke's breathing quickened a little and his throat suddenly felt unbelievably dry.

"He wanted me to return your sight."

"But…" A frown spread on Sasuke's face, confusion mingling into his features, "didn't you just say it was impossible to reverse the damage?"

"Itachi found a way," Tsunade deadpanned, expression stern. "He explicitly asked me in his letter not to divulge the exact way he suggested I go about this. I suspect he thought you wouldn't have the procedure done otherwise."

Although he wanted to immediately retort, Sasuke didn't quite know how to answer. Itachi had wanted for him to get this procedure done. And being blind was terrifying to Sasuke. He didn't know if he could ever get used to feeling so insecure, so helpless. So alone. "I want to know what exactly this procedure entails."

"I knew you would say that," the doctor sighed, slumping together a little. "And Itachi did as well. He _did_ ask me not to tell you, but the way he worded it sounded almost as though he _knew_ you wouldn't accept that." Tsunade grew silent and stared at Sasuke as though trying to will him into simply abiding by Itachi's wishes. Eventually, she heaved a heavy sigh when the teen merely stared back at her with a certain intensity in his cloudy eyes. "Will you get the procedure done even if I tell you what it entails?"

Sasuke had to mull this over for quite a while. He _wanted _to trust his brother and in whatever he had decided. But on the other hand, Itachi had known he wouldn't like whatever was going to happen during this procedure to return his eyesight, so there must be a good reason for that. Sasuke knew he was going to hate whatever this procedure was going to do. But more than anything, he wanted to comply with Itachi's final wishes. "I will."

"Good." Tsunade suddenly got off her chair and rummaged around in the deep pockets of her lab coat. She clicked her tongue in annoyance when she initially couldn't find what she was looking for. After a while, she sat back down with a thud, now with a crumpled piece of paper between her fingers. She stared at it for a long moment, seeming to contemplate again whether or not she should really go against Itachi's wishes. "I'm going to replace your clouded corneas with Itachi's."

Naruto nervously fumbled with his blanket when Sasuke didn't react and simply stared into space for a while. The blond gnawed on his lower lip, hard enough that it began aching with a piercing pain after a while. The bed being as cramped as it was, Naruto was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Sasuke and could clearly feel how rigid Sasuke had become over the course of his conversation with Tsunade. Naruto opened his mouth several times to say something to Sasuke, something comforting, something reassuring, but nothing useful that he could say came to mind. He was about just say the first thing that came to mind, when Sasuke said something unexpected.

"You've already recovered his corneas, haven't you?" the Uchiha asked quietly, with not an inkling of his earlier fierceness left. "My brother has been dead for a quite a while after all."

Tsunade stared at Sasuke for a while, who had finally averted his cloudy eyes after having had his fierce glare locked on the woman the entire time. "I have."

Quietly, Sasuke lifted a hand and held it in his front of his face, slowly inching it closer and closer, gradually, until his fingertips touched his forehead. "Then I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he said dryly, bitterly. "My sight is still getting worse. I didn't think I would go blind to the point that I would see nothing but black." He rested his hand against his cheek now, head dropping slightly. "Even the light is disappearing. I thought I would have at least my light perception left." He remained motionless for a short moment, before raising his head back up again and letting his hand fall into his lap. "Not accepting Itachi's last request would be a waste, wouldn't it?"

Finally, after doing nothing but frown, Tsunade smiled and nodded silently. "It definitely would. Itachi specifically asked for his sight to be given to no one but you."

A low chuckle suddenly came from Sasuke and the Uchiha seemed to brighten up a little. "My brother has to be a sneaky bastard, even in death. Forcing a _gift_ on me like this."

Feeling Sasuke slowly ease up next to him, Naruto finally allowed himself to relax as well. He remembered Kakashi's words from earlier and found that he was just as surprised at how well things were turning out. He almost expected something horrible to happen any second, something that would negate all the good things that had happened. And so he hoped with all his might that things would just stay like this without being ruined yet again.

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Kiba sat nervously fiddling with his fingers and staring at the various boring paintings lining the walls of the hospital lounge. There was an awkward silence and he wasn't quite sure how to dispel it. With Shikamaru next to him and Sakura in front of him, he wasn't sure what exactly to say. Nonetheless, he was desperate to break the silence. "Didn't take you guys as skippers. Especially on a day when we have an important math test."

Shikamaru merely shrugged. "Missing that test won't affect my grade much."

"Same," Sakura agreed offhandedly, nodding. "We have the freedom to miss a day of school. Unlike you."

"Shit, you're right." Now beginning to sweat nervously, Kiba contemplated what missing that test would do to his already dangerously bad grade. "Think I can just retake the test?"

This time, it was Sakura that shrugged. "Maybe if you beg."

Although their conversation was light-hearted, their trepidation and anxiety clearly shone through. Upon arriving at the hospital so early in the morning, they had been told that none of the people they wanted to visit were awake yet and that it would be better for them to just leave. Despite that, they decided to wait, desperate to know even the tiniest bit of information. They'd been left completely in the dark, with no one around them knowing what exactly had happened. There was only so much Shikamaru could conclude based on Sakura's limited knowledge.

"Do you think they're all going to be okay?" Sakura suddenly asked, crouching down where she was leaning against the wall. She began nervously rubbing her hands together, eyes filled with apprehension. "What happened in there?"

Shikamaru released a heavy sigh and stared at the tiled floor, brows pulled together into a frown. "The corpse they found in that building must belong to whoever was going after Naruto. Maybe it's the same person that attacked Kakashi-sensei and Gaara. I doubt the guy was acting alone though. With the state everyone is in, I don't find it hard to believe that he had accomplices."

"So it's still not over?" Sakura suddenly stood upright again, shoulders hunched. "Is this just going to happen over and over again?"

"Calm down," Kiba urged. "People are probably still sleeping."

Realising her mistake, Sakura visibly deflated. "S-Sorry." The pink-haired girl took a deep breath and seemed to relax somewhat. It took a moment, but she seemed to regain some of her composure. "I was there when the police came, but by then, Naruto and Sasuke-kun were already gone. I wasn't the one to call the police, so I guess it was Kyuubi who did it."

Shikamaru looked deep in thought, his frown deepening slightly. "That only supports my theory that accomplices exist. I don't think Kyuubi would have called the police for the corpse. He probably wanted the police to distract whoever was left long enough so he could bring Naruto and Uchiha to the hospital safely. But the police didn't find anyone at all, meaning the accomplices escaped."

"Why didn't he tie them up or something then?" Kiba questioned, gingerly placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezing it a bit. "The police could have just arrested them."

"Maybe he did and they managed to escape anyway," Shikamaru suggested. "Whoever they are, they managed to take out both Kakashi-sensei and Gaara, which shouldn't have been an easy feat. I don't think tying them up would have done much. He probably knew they would escape either way."

Kiba's face immediately darkened, a certain fierceness lighting up in his eyes. "Then why didn't he just kill them?"

When Shikamaru met Kiba's eyes then, he seemed to contemplate his answer a moment longer. Eventually, he simply stared at the floor. "That's what I've been wondering about, to be honest. That guy seemed like the type to finish up his business that way. The only way to really know what happened is to ask Naruto or Sasuke directly."

Suddenly, the sound of someone approaching interrupted their conversation. Two men in dark sports jackets approached them, halting in their steps when they spotted the teens. Shikamaru seemed to perk up at their sight, fixing both with a stern stare.

"What're you guys doing here?" Sakura suddenly inquired in an unsure tone. "Don't you work here? Why…"

The two men glanced at each other, before nodding and approaching the teens directly. "We have something to ask you," the taller one announced, stopping in front of Shikamaru.

"Izumo?" Sakura addressed the man, still looking puzzled. "What–"

"We'll explain everything later." Izumo smiled at the pink-haired girl, but seemed tense nonetheless. "For now, all you need to know is that Kotetsu and me aren't actually nurses. We work under Kakashi."

Before the baffled Sakura could ask more questions, Shikamaru cut her off. "What is it you want to ask?"

Izumo's weak smile vanished slowly as he met eyes with the teen. "We need your help."

When Shikamaru merely raised an eyebrow at the man, Kotetsu piped in as well. "Your father told us to consult you as well. That getting a second opinion on this would be helpful."

Sighing, the brunet shrugged, looking extremely exhausted all of a sudden. "I don't mind. It's not like we haven't been discussing this already." He eyed the two men for a second, before slipping his hands into his pockets. "So? What happened? I'm guessing it has to do with Naruto, otherwise you wouldn't be here in the first place."

Kotetsu nodded, seeming more relaxed than before. "Yeah, we actually came to question him, but were told that friends of his came to see him. We thought you could help us with this lead we got on the whereabouts of the suspects involved in this case. We're not sure whether it's trustworthy or not and your father also said that Naruto would know better than anyone else what the right thing to do is."

"What kind of lead are we talking about here?"

"We were contacted by Kyuubi." Kotetsu's distaste at that fact was clear as day and showed in his pinched expression. "He told us to trust his every word and to do exactly as he tells us if we want the culprits to be caught. Now we don't know if he's just trying to divert attention from himself or if he truly intends to help us. You might not know this, but Kyuubi is an infamous serial killer. Or at least, that's what most people believe. There never was any solid evidence against him, but it's a fact that any time he shows up, corpses come along with him."

"And now you need someone's input on whether or not he can be trusted," Shikamaru surmised, already deep in thought. "Problem is, we definitely need Naruto's opinion on this. I don't know enough about Kyuubi to be able to help in this. I'll only be able to help once I know what Naruto thinks."

"Think he's awake by now?" Kiba mumbled, glancing at the door they knew lead to the patient rooms. "We could just check. I doubt anyone would really notice this early in the morning if we just go in."

The small group gathered in the hallway went silent for a moment, the fact that they all had the same thing in mind obvious.

"I'll go check," Kiba announced when he noticed this as well. When the two policemen nodded at him wordlessly, he made his way down the hallway towards the patient rooms. Knowing Naruto's room number already, he turned a corner and, soon enough, found himself in front of his destination. Gulping, trepidation making his skin crawl, Kiba briefly hesitated. His fist was raised against the door, poised to knock, but that worry that perhaps Naruto was _not_ completely fine stopped him from simply entering this room. So before he could chicken out, he simply knocked and, with a racing heart, waited for some kind of response.

A confused frown formed on the brunet's face when at first, he heard frantic shuffling from inside, muffled voices mingling into the noise. The sound of heavy footfalls rushing around inside confirmed that there _definitely _was someone else in the room with Naruto. Alarmed, Kiba immediately threw open the door and was only met with the sight of an open window, Naruto staring back at him with a somewhat panicked expression.

"Oh, it's you," the blond sighed, relaxed as apparent relief washed over him. "I thought you might be…"

Frowning again at the way the blond trailed off, Kiba rushed towards the other's side. "Who was in here with you?" When Naruto merely stared at him for a moment, then opened his mouth to obviously lie, Kiba cut him off. "I _know_ someone was in here with you. And if it's someone you need to hide from others, it's pretty obvious that something's very wrong here." A frustrated sigh left his mouth when Naruto simply lowered his head and refused to look at him. Kiba was of course relieved that the other seemed fine, but this current situation didn't quite allow him to relax. "The police are here," he suddenly whispered.

Naruto head immediately shot up, frantic eyes focusing on the Inuzuka again. "I–"

"They need to know if Kyuubi can be trusted."

The statement clearly puzzled the blond. He went silent, looking thoughtful all of a sudden.

"Kyuubi called them and offered his help in catching whoever did this to you," Kiba elaborated. "But they don't know if he's just trying to distract them from himself, or if he really wants to help. Even if he wants to help, they can't come up with a good reason why."

When Naruto met the brunet's eyes, his gaze held a fiery intensity. "Kyuubi… saved us. If not for him, both me and Sasuke would probably be in some dingy basement and being experimented on by that creepy Orochimaru guy."

The name _Orochimaru_ didn't ring a bell for Kiba, but he made sure to remember it for later. At the very least, he was relieved that things could possibly be resolved with Kyuubi's help. "If you say he can be trusted, I believe you." He sent a reassuring smile at the blond, relaxing a bit when he finally fully comprehended that Naruto was safe and sound and not out there somewhere struggling for his life. "I need to leave to tell the others about Kyuubi, but I promise I'll come visit again later."

"You better," Naruto snapped in mock anger. "I'm getting sick of hospitals and their shitty TVs. The picture's all fucked up and there are only three channels. And two of them are news channels! And the DVD player doesn't even work!"

Kiba chuckled at the outburst, grinning as he made for the door. "I'll bring you something entertaining later, okay?"

"Don't you dare bring your shitty porn magazines here!" Naruto called after him as he left the room.

Although he felt tempted to go back in and argue with Naruto about the _not_ shitty quality of his _men's lifestyle magazines_, Kiba was aware that he had more important things to do. And so, he jogged down the hallways until he returned to the group still gathered in the corridor not far away.

"And?" Kotetsu immediately asked, Izumo looking just as desperate for a clear answer.

"Naruto says he can be trusted," Kiba said in a firm voice, briefly glancing at Shikamaru to judge his reaction but, as expected, found only a poker face. "And I trust him. What Kyuubi says is definitely true, so you should listen to him."

The two policemen glanced at each other, before focusing on Shikamaru. They obviously still somewhat rejected the mere idea of taking an infamous serial killer's orders, but were aware that they most likely had no other choice.

Shikamaru had been deep in thought for a moment, meeting the expectant gazes with his still intact poker face. "I trust Naruto's judgement as well. Kyuubi has nothing to gain out of this. All I know about him is that he wouldn't use underhanded methods to cover his tracks. He also seems to care about Naruto, so it's not surprising to me that he wants the culprits to be caught. You should definitely let him help you."

Obviously still appalled by the suggestion, Izumo sighed and grimly stared down at the floor, Kotetsu not looking much brighter.

"I trust Kyuubi," Sakura suddenly announced, making the two policemen's grim expressions dissolve into surprise. "I've met him only a few times and he might be creepy and a bit… dangerous. But to me, it's obvious that he cares about Naruto _a lot_. He would do anything for him, even if it meant working with the police." She paused for a moment, giving Izumo and Kotetsu a moment to fully understand her words. "He's also smart. Smarter than anyone I know, to be honest. He wouldn't put himself in this kind of danger only to detract attention from himself or while having some kind of ulterior motive. The only possible reason I can see for him doing this, is that he wants whoever did all this to Naruto properly punished. And more than anything, he wants to make Naruto feel at ease again. He wants to give him the opportunity to live a carefree life." When she was met only with stunned silence, she became slightly flustered. "A-At least that's the impression he gave off. When I called him for help, he came rushing immediately. I didn't even have to explain much to him. He just came."

When Sakura's determined expression didn't falter, Izumo simply sighed and seemed to deflate slightly. "I'll give my colleagues a call and have them set everything in motion. I just hope you guys are right. We would have blown Kyuubi off if not for Kakashi-san and Nara-san insisting that we talk to Naruto about this first. We'll have some convincing to do, but we probably should be able to get this to work out. It'll be our responsibility if anything goes wrong, but at least we'll have tried, right?"

Kiba nodded enthusiastically, while Shikamaru and Sakura merely smiled weakly. After feeling so helpless and useless in this entire situation, they finally felt as though they had done something to make things better. After having had to watch Naruto slowly falling apart yet again, now having him safe and the culprits about to be apprehended, they all felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Things could only get better from this point on.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Inside his hospital room, Naruto could hear Kiba rushing away. He briefly wondered who exactly Kiba had been with and what was going on outside, but his thoughts quickly went back to the visitor that had disappeared through the window the moment someone had approached the door. He had been genuinely surprised when Kyuubi had seemingly materialised out of thin air in his room and woken him from his half asleep state.

"Good morning, princess," he had greeted him, standing at his bedside and grinning down at him with a toothy grin. "Shall I sweep you away on my majestic stallion?"

Naruto had stared at him listlessly for a while, not even shifting where he laid tangled in his sheets. "By _stallion_ you mean your dick, right?"

"You know me too well," Kyuubi sighed, casually leaning against the blond's headboard.

Naruto continued to stare up at the redhead, raising a questioning eyebrow at the tall man.

Kyuubi released another sigh and backed away to lean against a bed stand instead. "I'm having withdrawal symptoms. Do something."

"I'm not letting up on the murder ban."

"Dang it."

Quietly chuckling to himself, Naruto returned the redhead's grin, but the cheery expression soon fell. "Why are you here?"

Kyuubi's features dimmed slightly as well, the man suddenly showcasing a rarely seen seriousness. "Things might get rough from here on out. If things go well, those two sleazy bastards should be caught and brought to trial. I should be able to get together enough witnesses and evidence to get them both convicted for a long time. And about the third one…" The redhead gave Naruto a stern look when he saw the teen's expression fall, "don't worry about him. There's no way you're going to be put in jail for murder. Believe me, I know the system and how to get out of this kind of stuff. I'll make sure the trial gets ruled as self defence. And if that doesn't work out, I'll have to make use of my veto on the murder ban."

"Who said you get a–"

"I still haven't decided on your living situation though. That Kakashi brat seems capable enough, but he's also a member of some special police force. Do you see my dilemma here?"

"Why–"

"Then there's also the fact that your godfather is a pervert who is _also _in some special force, but also goes around writing porn books."

"I'm getting _creepy older brother_ vibes from you." Naruto grinned at Kyuubi's grim expression. "Or rather _overprotective great-grandfather _vibes_._"

"Hey!" Kyuubi barked in protest. He didn't deny either of those statements though. "You being the dumb blond you are, _someone_'s gotta watch over you, right?"

Naruto angrily pouted at the insult, but didn't respond to it. More than anything right now, he was anxious about how Sasuke's surgery was going. The Uchiha had been dumped in a wheelchair and wheeled off the moment he had agreed to the procedure. Tsunade had left with the words that the procedure would take a few hours and that Naruto should get some sleep since he looked as though he had risen out of a dusty coffin like some sort of lord of the sleepless.

Seeing how lost in thought Naruto was, Kyuubi was about to say something, when the sound of someone approaching the door interrupted him. He exchanged glances with Naruto for a brief second, before rushing towards the window and at first struggling to rip it open. In the end, he got it open just in time to be able to escape before the newcomer could see him.

That's when Kiba had appeared. Even now, the brunet's words still resounded in Naruto's mind, sending a bright smile to Naruto's face.

_"Kyuubi called them and offered his help in catching whoever did this to you."_

A giddy feeling spread in the blond's stomach, making his smile wider and wider. Things actually were turning out okay, weren't they? He almost didn't want to trust this peaceful atmosphere. He couldn't help but feel as though something was going to happen again. Something that would ruin everything.

It was almost impossible for him to be completely optimistic at this point.

Especially now that he was alone with his thoughts, with so many unsolved issues, Naruto felt his mood dampen. Sasuke's chances of regaining his sight were low, Naruto's lunatic stalkers were still out there somewhere, Gaara's condition was still critical and lastly, Naruto now had someone's blood on his hands. He had committed cold-blooded murder. It hadn't been self defence. He kept telling himself that. He had been planning to kill Mizuki for so long. He had fantasised about it so many times. He had come up with elaborate plans to not get caught in the act. But now that he had actually done it, he didn't actually _want_ to get away with it. He _wanted_ to somehow atone for it. The all encompassing guilt was eating away at him and slowly sucking away any ability to stay composed.

What if he accidentally hurt someone again? What if in the heat of the moment, he somehow ended up killing another person?

He couldn't quite remember everything that had happened. Only that he had picked up that yellow screwdriver with the intention of hurting Mizuki somehow. The risk of possibly killing him was something he had simply accepted. He had stabbed Mizuki with the intention of somehow saving himself and the next thing he knew, he was watching the life drain out of the man's eyes and could feel warm blood pour over his fingers. He could still remember the sickly velvety texture and the horrible smell.

What if something like that happened again? Was something wrong with him? Maybe something was off about his mental state and blackouts like that could happen again. Would he kill someone again and not even remember it?

Mizuki hadn't even been _all_ bad. There had been moments when he had been nice and caring. Moments where Naruto had thought the man was capable of parental love. Maybe if he had given the man a chance to heal, a chance to reevaluate his life and make changes, then maybe he could have turned out to be an amazing person. But Naruto had taken that chance away for his own selfish reasons. He had done something no one had the right to do.

He had deemed Mizuki too bad of a person to leave alive.

He had genuinely felt that way. He had thought that Mizuki would never change and simply continue being a horribly deranged man. But what if that hadn't been the case? What if somewhere deep within himself, Mizuki had had the potential to be kind and understanding, _loving_, even? Naruto hadn't even given him the chance to say any last words. Or perhaps Mizuki had said something and Naruto had simply forgotten, which would be even worse. What if Mizuki had said something to explain his actions? What if he had apologised with Naruto simply watching him die? Now that Naruto had murdered someone, was _he_ even a good enough person to be left alive?

A knock at the door made Naruto jump, a sense of dread coming over him when countless possibilities for who the visitor might be came to mind. Was the police there to arrest him and put him away in jail? Was someone here for revenge?

The door opened a moment later and Naruto released a sigh of relief when he saw both Shizune and Sasuke enter, the woman gently guiding the Uchiha along until he shook her hands off with an annoyed murmur. "I can find it myself," he grumbled, making Naruto smile slightly. Sasuke seemed mostly fine, at least judging from the fact that his snarky attitude was still intact.

After shaking her head in exasperation, Shizune briefly glanced at Naruto and shot him a smile, before leaving the room and closing the door behind herself. Watching Sasuke then slowly approach his bed with bandaged up eyes and outstretched arms, Naruto couldn't help but grin. "You okay there?" he asked mockingly. As expected, he received a noncommittal grunt in return.

Sasuke bumped into a nightstand before finally finding the edge of Naruto's bed and somewhat clumsily pulling himself on top. He carefully settled in front of the still grinning blond, taking up the foot end of the bed.

Another wave of relief washed over the blond when he, again, took a good look at Sasuke and realised yet again that they were both safe and mostly in okay shape. Sooner or later, they would both be fine again. Everything would be fine again. Naruto felt like that way especially now that he was seeing the Uchiha. Simply having the other teen in front of him was reassuring.

"You're weirdly quiet," Sasuke eventually mentioned. "I would have expected you to attack me with questions the moment I came in."

_He's right_, Naruto realised. It was out of character for him to _not_ attack someone with a barrage of questions in a situation like this. "S-Sorry. I'm just kinda… tired."

Even with his eyes thickly bandaged up, Sasuke's doubt showed clearly in his face. He suddenly reached out and pressed a hand flat against the blond's neck, pulling it away almost immediately after with a disgusted frown. "You're all cold and sweaty. You were having some kind of stupid anxiety attack again, weren't you?" He didn't even let Naruto reply and simply ranted on for a moment. "You can't even stay composed for the few hours that I'm gone? You're more of an idiot than I thought. I honestly thought you had more self-control than that."

Sighing, Naruto felt some tension leave his body. Somehow having Sasuke chew him out like this made all of his earlier musings seem ridiculous now. It was no use lingering on the past. It wouldn't make anything better. All he could do now was to look forward and concentrate on what was important at the moment. "I'm better now." He left the reason why unsaid. He noticed Sasuke seeming oddly silent after that, head turned towards the window as though he was looking outside. "When are you supposed to take those off?" he questioned, nodding at the other's bandages, before remembering that Sasuke couldn't see the gesture.

"Tomorrow," Sasuke replied quietly, almost inaudibly so. "But I wanted to have them taken off now. You gonna do it or not?"

_Leave it to Sasuke to make a request sound like an order. _Naruto briefly smiled to himself, before shrugging. "I might as well. You came all the way here for that, didn't you?"

"Not really," the other dead-panned, shifting into a cross-legged position and looking like some kind of model from a yoga bible. It should be impossible to look that perfect while sitting cross-legged.

Chuckling slightly, with his heart beginning to pump harder, Naruto leaned forward to get a hold of the bandages and find a place to start peeling them off. But just when his fingertips came in contact with the smooth fabric, he paused. With the silence came his earlier thoughts and musings. His hands started to shake and he unconsciously began to nervously gnaw on his lower lip.

Sasuke seemed to notice the blond's hesitation, cocking his head downwards slightly.

Naruto knew what Sasuke was thinking. Simply seeing the other's bandaged face, he knew. "I just… just…" Voice cracking slightly, cold sweat running down his back, Naruto's throat suddenly felt as though it was slowly closing up. "Is it really okay for me to be alive?"

There was no one else he could ask this type of question. No one else had seen what Sasuke had seen. And no one else would give him the straightforward kind of answer he needed. Only Sasuke could give him a proper answer.

"You're a moron."

Taken aback, Naruto only now noticed the tears already welling up in his eyes and quickly wiped them away before they could fall. "But… whatever Mizuki did to me, what I did to him was much worse. How can you say I deserve to live more than him?"

An exasperated sigh left Sasuke, the Uchiha's expression not changing the slightest. "You deserve to live simply because you're alive. There's nothing you can do to lose that right. What happened to Mizuki happened because you were defending yourself. You _survived_ because you defended yourself. There's no guilt in that." Sasuke paused for a moment, turning his head towards the window, but of course, not actually looking at it. Sasuke's words then came out as a quiet hiss. "And you should know better than anyone else that had you not ended him, someone else would have."

Naruto immediately understood the implications of that, since both Sasuke and Kyuubi had hinted at wanting Mizuki gone. This reinforcement of those words still astonished Naruto though. He hadn't taken Sasuke serious before, but knowing what he knew now, he had no other choice but to believe what the Uchiha was saying.

"There's another thing." Sasuke straightened up slightly and leaned closer to the blond, his posture intimidating all of a sudden. "I'm planning on taking you to the grave with me, so you'd better stay alive, you dumbass."

Slightly bewildered by the words, Naruto slowly relaxed. "I don't really get it," he chuckled slightly.

"Hn," the Uchiha grumbled, crossing his arms and turning his head away as though in disgust. Obviously, he was more than a little annoyed.

"Don't be such an asshole," Naruto complained weakly. "Bastard…" Yet again, Sasuke had easily shot down his concerns and made him feel ridiculous for even being worried in the first place. "Let's start on these bandages." Much brighter and enthusiastic than before, Naruto leaned forward and grabbed the other's head. He had to turn Sasuke's head towards him, since the Uchiha was still grumpily staring at nothing. Chuckling to himself, Naruto found the place where the bandages started and slowly began peeling them off. "You're sure it's okay to do this? It's barely been a few hours since the surgery."

"Just do it already," the Uchiha growled, making the blond chuckle again.

Naruto got the bandages off quickly enough, but underneath, he found metal shields taped over the Uchiha's eyes. "These really look like I'm not supposed to take them off." He could already hear the growl coming up from Sasuke's throat, so he simply continued. "I know, I know." Naruto gulped, worrying his lip slightly, before carefully grabbing a piece of tape and pulling it up. He flinched a little at the sound, but since Sasuke seemed unaffected, he continued. Slowly, inch for inch, the tension gradually eating away at his composure, he got all the tape off Sasuke's skin enough to pull both metal shields off. He was hesitant to actually take them off, but seeing Sasuke's jaw clench in an agitated manner, he finally took them off. Underneath, Sasuke's eyes were slightly puffy and red, which was to be expected. Anticipation shooting through his veins, Naruto let out a shaky breath, willing his thundering heart to calm down, least it crush his already aching ribcage. "You can open your eyes now."

Sasuke's brows furrowed together into a frown slightly, the Uchiha's head lowering a bit. Now that the bandages and shields were off, he suddenly seemed hesitant to actually open his eyes.

Naruto didn't even have to ask to know what was eating at the other. "It'll be fine," he said, voice suddenly firm and confident. "This is Itachi's gift to you. There's no way your brother would allow you to go through life without healthy eyes."

An almost inaudible huff left Sasuke, before the teen lifted his head again. His adams apple bobbed when he gulped, the frown seeming etched into his features. His jet black lashes fluttered and shifted restlessly when his lids moved slowly. Painstakingly slow, he opened his eyes.

His heart just about jumping out of his chest at this point, Naruto felt a bit nauseous. And the moment Sasuke's gaze connected with his, he forgot how to breathe. He had gotten so accustomed to the sight of cloudy grey that now seeing this clear obsidian he had longed to see was simply breathtaking. But was Sasuke actually looking at him? Or was he simply staring at nothing again?

Sasuke did not speak. His narrowed eyes simply staring at the same exact thing without moving. "I can see you," he suddenly mumbled, almost as though he couldn't believe it himself. "It's… extremely blurry and distorted, but I can definitely see your dumb face."

Naruto sputtered and laughed for a second, not knowing whether to smile or look angry. "You should see yourself, Emo Jesus."

Sasuke's expression immediately turned pinched and annoyed. "You heard that?"

"How could I not have?" Naruto half barked, half laughed. After that, he took a moment to simply enjoy having Sasuke actually look _at_ him and not through him. Sasuke seemed to be doing the same, his eyes darting around the blond's beaming face as though thoroughly mapping it out in his mind. And before he knew it, Naruto was suddenly leaning forward and hovering in front of the Uchiha's face, before pressing his chapped lips against Sasuke's ones. They were dry, but warm and smooth nonetheless, making Naruto sigh contentedly. He felt Sasuke slowly moving to lie down, one of the Uchiha's hands snaking around his neck and pulling him down with him, their lips never separating from each other. Smiling slightly, Naruto nestled into the other's warm and firm body, lazily resting in between Sasuke's legs. He could feel the Uchiha's heart beat against his chest, could hear the sound of his steady exhale of breath, could smell the fresh and comforting scent of soap on his skin.

And any time they parted briefly, Naruto would open his eyes for a short moment to find Sasuke opening his as well and they would simply look at each other. Time almost seemed to flow slower than usual in those moments, as though disintegrating in just that one second their eyes met. As though time didn't exist in the space connected by their gazes. And any time their lips met again, time seemed to flow all that much faster, as though they were suddenly making up for all the moments they hadn't spent at each other's side.

Quite a while passed like that again and again. Eventually, an arm snaked around Naruto's waist, Sasuke's warm hand slowly sliding up and down his back, fingertips occasionally brushing over his lower back and causing a violent shudder to run throughout the blond's entire body.

"Sensitive?" Sasuke chuckled with that velvety voice of his when Naruto shuddered yet again at his touch.

"J-Just at that particular spot," Naruto stammered, shifting uncomfortably on top of Sasuke. "I get kinda nervous having someone touch me there."

Sasuke suddenly frowned slightly at the blond, digging his fingertips into the area above the hemline of Naruto's loose pyjama pants and eliciting a violent jolt and a loud, drawn out groan from the other teen.

"Don't–" Naruto's were cut off by Sasuke smashing his lips against his again, effectively shutting him up. Only now Naruto noticed how much his entire body felt as though it was on fire, especially his face. His ears felt like they would melt off any second now. Sasuke was suddenly kissing him with such fervour that Naruto forgot for a brief second who or what he even was. It almost felt as if the Uchiha was trying to eat him up, hands possessively clutching his head and waist, teeth biting at his kiss swollen lips and flushed neck every now and then. Naruto couldn't help all the gasps, moans and whimpers from leaving his throat.

Next thing he knew, Naruto was on his back with Sasuke on top of him and still kissing him. Suddenly, Naruto realised that he _wanted_ this. That he wanted their skin to decompose, to crush their ribcages together, feel their hearts touch and roar together, wanted their blood to evaporate and their lungs to crumble, to blast away their minds so that all that was left was Sasuke and the way his lips felt against his own.

"N-Naruto!"

Somewhat bewildered when Sasuke suddenly pulled away from him, Naruto blearily glanced around, finding a person at the door. "Uh… Oh…" It took him a second to fully register what was going on. "_Oh_! Iruka-sensei! Oh my–" Naruto quickly pushed Sasuke off, who just so caught himself, then quickly sat up to face his former teacher. "I-I–"

Iruka raised a hand and motioned for the blond to stop talking. "I… get it. No need to explain anything." Still looking somewhat embarrassed and shocked, Iruka approached the bed the two were sitting on. "I came to check on both of you, so having you two in the same room is actually pretty… convenient." After taking a deep breath, the man seemed to regain his composure. "Looks like you two are doing pretty well, thankfully."

Naruto immediately beamed at the man, still blushing from embarrassment a little. "Granny says we both should recover completely, so no worries there."

"That's great to hear." Although Iruka looked happy, something seemed to be on his mind. Something that was preventing him from being as enthusiastic as he usually would be. "To be honest, on my way here, I got a call and was told to relay a message to both of you."

Naruto noticed the growing frown on Sasuke's face and almost knew what was going through the Uchiha's head.

"By who?" Sasuke questioned with not a little amount of suspicion.

"The police department."

That seemed to shut Sasuke up, but only for a brief moment. Eventually, the Uchiha sent a challenging look at the man. "Why would they have you relay a message to us? Don't tell me you're not actually a teacher either?"

"I _am_ a teacher," Iruka immediately clarified, crossing his arms. "All I'm going to say is that I have acquaintances in the police department. I wasn't _always_ a teacher, you know."

Sasuke eyed the man for a moment longer, before huffing out a "Hn" and easing up on his scowl.

Seeing Naruto's expectant look, Iruka came closer and sat down on the chair next to the bed. "I don't know the details of what happened, just that Mizuki, Orochimaru and Kabuto are involved. I also know that Mizuki is dead." Iruka immediately noticed the darkening of Naruto's eyes and frowned slightly, before grabbing a hold of one of Naruto's hands. "And, Naruto, I want you to know that I don't blame you at all. Mizuki _was_ my best friend, but only until the moment he mistreated you. You're a lot more important to me than him, so don't ever feel bad about what happened, okay?"

Naruto only managed to nod jerkily, too many thoughts and emotions swirling around his mind now.

With a reassuring smile, Iruka briefly fumbled around with his hands. Eventually, he seemed to regain some composure, eyes suddenly hard and somewhat closed off. "The police ended up contacting Kyuubi and following his orders. Now they're pursuing Orochimaru and Kabuto and it looks like they're headed to this hospital. What for seems quite obvious." Iruka cut Sasuke off before the Uchiha could speak up. "I need you both to stay put here and just let the police do their work. I know it might be difficult, but right now neither of you are in any condition to do anything _but_ sit tight and wait. There are already bodyguards being positioned around the hospital, so just stay in here and wait."

The frown on Sasuke's face only deepened, frustration written all over his features. Trying to cheer the other up, Naruto took a hold of Sasuke's hands, shooting him a small smile. Sasuke seemed to slightly ease up at that, sighing and slumping together a little.

"I'm going to stay right outside the door, so if anything's wrong, just call me," Iruka added. He cracked a smile at the two, before standing up and leaving the room.

Once the door closed behind the man, Naruto took a good look at Sasuke again, before gently squeezing the other's hands in a reassuring manner. "Kyuubi's with them," he said quietly, grinning when Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "Kyuubi by himself is more than enough protection. Nothing can hurt us in here."

"If you say so," the Uchiha mumbled, looking as apathetic and cold as always. Nonetheless, he didn't shake Naruto's warm hands off.

Smiling for a moment, Naruto quickly noticed the slightly pained expression on the brunet's face, making him snap out of his daze. "We should put those shields back on. Granny will have a fit if she finds out we took them off ourselves."

Although he looked as though he was going to disagree, Sasuke nodded, taking one of the shields from Naruto's hands and, with the blond's help, taped it back on his face. After that, Naruto ignored his protests and simply taped on the other one himself and bandaged everything up. "There you go," the blond declared proudly, satisfied that everything looked the way it had originally. "And you're not taking all that off till tomorrow, got that?"

"Hn."

A mock frustrated sigh left Naruto, a smile sneaking across his face when he took in Sasuke's clearly huffy demeanour. The Uchiha was behaving like a child that had had its favourite toy taken away. In an attempt to cheer the other up, Naruto took Sasuke's hands in his again, stroking them slightly and noticed the slight ease of tension in the Uchiha's shoulders.

And that's how they sat for quite a while, with Naruto holding Sasuke's hands, the Uchiha eventually complaining that Naruto's hands were gross and sweaty, pulling his hands out of the blond's grip. The blond simply chuckled knowingly, eyeing Sasuke with a fond look.

At some point, they both got bored enough that Naruto managed to convince Sasuke to watch a movie together. Although Sasuke technically was the one in better shape, Naruto was the one to get up and sift through the DVDs, despite the other's protests.

"The painkillers are still working, so I barely feel anything right now," the blond grumbled. "You'd just stumble all over the room and end up hurting yourself."

"Says the moron that somehow managed to fall on his face the moment his foot touched the floor."

"The floor's really slippery!" Naruto barked, momentarily taking his eyes off the limited selection of movies. "And nothing happened, so quit nagging."

Unsurprisingly, it took Sasuke only a moment before he found something that he was annoyed about again. "What's taking you so long anyway?"

Naruto flipped the DVDs over and over again, reading the summaries on the back and studying the pictures. "I'm trying to find something you can enjoy even without seeing it. That means an action flick is pretty much out of question. How about a comedy?" The blond only heard the other's annoyed grunt and knew what that meant. "Science fiction?"

"No."

"Um… a documentary about rain worms?" When no answer came, Naruto just assumed that Sasuke was glaring at him. He could somewhat sense it. "The only other there is… is…" Naruto gulped, feeling his stomach drop just reading the title. "There's this… horror movie. Something really trashy about a family moving into a house and–"

"That."

Naruto froze, petrified. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "You… want to watch a crappy movie like this? It's gonna be really boring and stereotypical, you know. I–"

"Put it in."

Completely unable to argue with Sasuke's request, Naruto begrudgingly slipped the DVD into the dusty player. When he turned on the old tube TV, he heard the distantly familiar sizzle of it flickering on. And after roughly ten minutes of fighting with the old technology, he finally got the movie to play and settled back down next to Sasuke. He felt the Uchiha's arm slide around his shoulders again and Naruto, just like he had the last time it had happened, blushed furiously.

As expected, the movie was trashy. The mother was the most reasonable one in the family, as well as the most easily scared one, while the father was completely unaffected and wouldn't take his wife serious. The oldest daughter was in her rebellious teenager phase, constantly running around with headphones blasting some obscure noisy music and being annoyed at her parents, and her creepy younger brother was weirdly quiet and serious for his age. The house they were moving into was surrounded by eerily bare trees, with not a single neighbouring house in sight.

Naruto was already curling up into a ball next to Sasuke when barely ten minutes of the movie had passed and the first unsettling things were already happening. It began with weird sounds at night, including the sound of steps where no one should be able to walk, scratching noises behind the walls and creepy wolf howling outside, to only name a few. The blond couldn't quite suppress a small shriek when the little brother suddenly popped up at the mother's bed, staring at her blankly, only to have her comfort him and bring him back to his own bed.

"I didn't know you liked scary movies," Naruto grumbled without looking at Sasuke, forcing himself to uncurl from his somewhat foetal position on the bed with his eyes glued to the TV. "Thrillers and crime fiction, yes, but trashy horror movies? You?"

"Who said I chose this movie because I like it?"

Naruto had just managed to relax a little and paused when he heard those words. Suspicious, he turned towards the other and to his horror, found a smirk on the Uchiha's face. "What do you mean by that?"

The brunet chuckled quietly, mirthfully. "For how many years have I known you now, you dill-hole? Do you honestly think I don't know how much supernatural things creep you out? And have you forgotten just how much I love having you squirm and shriek like a little girl?"

After gaping in offended horror for solid ten seconds, Naruto angrily jabbed his elbow into Sasuke's arm, making the other cackle evilly. "You asshole! I was wondering why you would pick a crappy horror flick like this of all things! You–" He jumped and shrieked again when he suddenly saw a horrid grimace on the TV out of the corner of his eyes. "I hate you so much right now!" he yelled shakily. "You can't even _see_ what's going on! You can't even see all this creepy shit! That's so unfair!" He only heard Sasuke's evil chuckle, before some sort of dark shadow flickered across the screen and scared him yet again. Naruto, at this point, was close to tears. "I hate this," he whimpered.

Sasuke was silent after that and seemed to greatly enjoy Naruto's suffering throughout the entire movie. Especially since it didn't take long before Naruto was clinging to the brunet with all his might, shrieking and whimpering into the other's clothes. Several times, Sasuke had to reassure the blond that no vengeful spirit would come to haunt them later on, although he gave the impression of being immensely annoyed each time. Naruto, of course, knew better. And once the movie was over, Naruto immediately nervously jumped out of the bed and paced up and down the room. But since being out of the bed made him paranoid, he was back at Sasuke's side again soon enough.

"I'll never forgive you for this," Naruto hissed scornfully, glaring at the TV that had brought on all this suffering.

"Weren't you the one to suggest watching a movie in the first place?" Sasuke replied flatly.

Naruto could give no retort to that and simply pouted to himself. A shudder ran down his spine the next moment when he suddenly felt that something was off and instantly, his senses and thoughts shifted. "Hey… Sasuke?"

The Uchiha didn't immediately reply and seemed to tense up somewhat. He was oddly still. As though he was carefully taking in their surroundings. "You noticed?"

"Yeah." Naruto gulped, a sudden unease taking over his mind, nipping at the already frayed edges of his nerves. "It's too quiet."

The hospital should be bustling at this time. It was going to be noon soon after all. People should be walking up and down the hallways outside constantly, there should be the sound of telephones ringing, people talking, working, being_ there_.

But there was nothing. One could probably hear a pin drop in this deadly silence.

"Where did everyone go?" Naruto whispered, nervous sweat beginning to cover his forehead. He felt inclined to go outside and check, but he knew that probably was what he was _supposed_ to do. "We need to get out, Sasuke."

"We're on the third floor, you moron. How would we get out without using the door?"

Gulping, Naruto thought over their options, knowing that if even Sasuke hadn't come up with some kind of solution yet, there wasn't much he could do.

"Let's block the door first," Sasuke suggested, already getting out of bed. As he did so, he haphazardly tore off his bandages again, squinting his eyes at first, but quickly grabbed the bed and began pulling it once Naruto had gotten out. He ignored the blond's disapproving look and motioned for him to help, which the blond did, albeit begrudgingly.

Suddenly, they heard steps from outside. Someone running up the hallway, towards their room.

"Let's hurry," Naruto urged, pushing the bed more forcefully now.

But they weren't fast enough, both still lacking their full strength due to their injuries. The door flew open in front of them and they both froze, Naruto gasping silently.

The person that now stood in the door looked at them with wild eyes, frantically glancing back and forth between the two of them. His mouth and nose were covered by a black bandana that was wrapped around his face.

A second passed before Naruto recognised the stranger, after which the newcomer suddenly turned around and hastily shut the door. Without a word, he tore the blanket from the bed and covered up the slit between the door and the floor with it. After that, he noisily dashed towards the window and threw it open.

"Fuck this shit," he gasped, seeming extremely out of breath. He was gasping for air now and all but ripped down the bandana from his face. "You two are lucky I started smelling something funny in the air."

For a second, Naruto remained speechless, before quickly stepping closer to the other. "K-Kiba, why…"

Slowly catching his breath, Kiba looked at the blond with a complicated expression, looking stressed and out of breath. "Everyone's knocked out," he murmured darkly. "Some kind of gas. I don't know what exactly happened, but I started smelling this weirdly sweet smell. I covered up my face and held my breath, just to be sure, and when I was about warn other people, everyone around me just started… _collapsing. _I figured it was some kind of gas and tried getting to you two as quickly as possible." With slightly frenzied eyes, he suddenly glanced around the room, before sighing. "Looks like there's no AC in here. Lucky."

"So someone channeled some type of gas through the air vents to knock everyone out?" Sasuke asked, eyebrows pulled together into a tense frown.

Kiba nodded tersely, still looking quite bewildered. "I didn't think those guys would go this far. What do they want with you two?"

Naruto noticed Sasuke's jaw clenching slightly and could tell that the Uchiha was probably miffed about the other teen knowing more than he should. "Do you know any way out?" the blond asked, trying to ease the tension a little. "I don't think we can get out through the window."

With a pinched expression, Kiba shook his head. "I don't know any safe way out. And I'm pretty sure we can't barricade ourselves in here forever."

"Don't you have a cell phone?" Naruto insisted, growing panicked now. "Can't you call the police or something?"

Again, the Inuzuka shook his head. "I tried, but I'm not getting a signal. It might've been jammed."

Naruto now understood why Kiba looked so frenzied and panicked. They were trapped like mice, their only option to wait for their imminent demise. The situation seemed hopeless, inevitable.

"How long does it take to get to the entrance?" Sasuke suddenly wanted to know, eyes burning with a certain urgency.

Sputtering for a second, Kiba quickly did the math in his head. "It takes about three minutes."

"So if we run, we might make it."

As though a light bulb had popped up above Kiba's head, the brunet's face brightened slightly, but dimmed almost immediately after. "That could work, but… I don't know if that gas is lethal. If you breathe in just a tiny bit of it, you're gonna be unconscious before you even hit the floor. Or… you could end up dead."

"There is no other way out, isn't there? We don't have much of a choice."

Kiba gulped, nervous sweat collecting on his forehead. "I guess you're right." For only a moment, Kiba seemed to size the Uchiha up, as though he was trying to decide how capable the other really was. But then his eyes wandered towards Naruto and his expression became less tense. Relieved.

By the time Naruto noticed the other's eyes becoming slightly teary, he was already engulfed in a violent bear hug that knocked the air out of his lungs. "Kiba…" he wheezed, "air…"

"Sorry," the Inuzuka mumbled shakily, loosening his hold but not letting go. "I'm just really glad you're okay."

Returning the hug and succumbing to his fate, Naruto caught sight of Sasuke staring at them. A small smile spread on his features when Sasuke immediately glanced away in an attempt to not seem bothered. It was endearing, really. "Let's get out of here," Naruto eventually mumbled, trying to sound as calm and reassuring as possible.

Kiba nodded into the blond's shoulder, regaining his bearings when he pulled back. "Promise me not to…"

Naruto noticed how much trouble Kiba was having with getting the words out, but he understood anyway. "I promise." He nodded, smiling when Kiba immediately looked less troubled. For a moment, he thought of all the people still in the hospital, unconscious and possibly already cursed with a death sentence. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of losing all these people. "Was anyone in front of the door? Iruka-sensei said he'd be outside and that we could call him if anything happened."

Lips pressed together into a tense frown, Kiba shook his head. "I didn't see him on my way here." When he saw Naruto's expression fall, he immediately put on a shaky smile. "O-Of course I can't be sure about that gas. For all I know, it could've just knocked everyone out."

Sasuke was already walking towards the door with his pale hand wrapping around the handle, looking about ready to risk his life by running into a cloud of possibly poisonous fas. Kiba, on the other hand, was uncertainly standing beside him, now staring at Naruto with a mix of unease and fear.

"I'm not good with chemistry or anything," Kiba continued. "All I know is that it was suspiciously sweet and that people were suddenly dropping like flies only seconds after inhaling it."

"It's probably not lethal," Sasuke suddenly cut in, surprising the other two, who both looked at him with hopeful expressions. "That creepy snake doesn't like having a mountain of corpses on his hands, so Kabuto probably used that xenon mixture of his. The last time I saw him he'd found a way to create a mixture that's completely colourless, tasteless and odourless and knocks the average adult out within seconds. Although I guess he didn't manage to make it _completely_ odourless." He suddenly sent a smirk at Kiba, causing the brunet to frown slightly. "Your dog nose saved you, Inuzuka."

Naruto saw the puzzled anger on Kiba's face and could easily imagine what was going on in the other's head. "Just take it as a compliment," the blond said with a small grin. "Sasuke rarely praises people."

"I didn't _praise_ him, you moron," the Uchiha immediately interjected harshly.

"Sure, sure," Naruto chuckled, mood brightening a little, but his grin quickly fading. "So all we gotta do is hold our breath for a minute or so and run as fast as we can."

"Pretty much," Kiba confirmed, eyes focusing on the foreboding blue door. "You should probably use something to protect your face."

"Right." Nodding, Naruto grabbed a corner of the blanket pushed against the door and, with some effort, tore off two large pieces. "Here," he mumbled as he handed Sasuke a piece, wrapping the remaining one around his face so his nose and mouth were covered.

After Sasuke had done the same, he Uchiha grabbed the handle of the door again, looking at the other two teens and waiting for their nod of approval. "Take a deep breath now," was the only warning he gave, before pushing the door open a moment later and dashing out.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

So for the sake of this story, I've altered some things about the cornea transplant thing, so don't take this story as an accurate portrayal of what a procedure like that would be like. Cause of course, you're not supposed to take your bandages and shit off till at least a day or more later and you don't get those transplants in both eyes at the same time. But this is a fictional story, so I'm just gonna use my freedom as a writer to alter some shit to my liking. You're also supposed to go through a bunch of tests pre-op, but let's just say Tsunade has lots of influence and got all that stuff done within a few hours.

Sasuke has progressed from being Emo Jesus to being Yoga Jesus. Ain't that nice?


End file.
